Of Cats and Dragons
by empire1003
Summary: Alternate Universe. Shanti's camping above Helgen when a dragon attacks the city and she recognizes Alduin. She doesn't know exactly what it means or how it'll affect her, but it's obvious big changes are coming, and things are going to get a lot more complicated, with dragons on top of the Civil War currently going on.
1. Riverwood

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Chapter 1 - Riverwood

Shanti was breaking camp, making ready for the next stage of her tour of Imperial-controlled Skyrim before joining the regular Legion, when a column of smoke from the direction of Helgen caught her attention. What in the Names of the Nine! She hurried her packing, then blinked in disbelief when she caught sight of something black and huge rising from the city while she was shouldering her pack.

Was that a dragon? No, it couldn't be, at least not a black one. A few had survived the Dragon Wars, but the Tongues had defeated and banished Alduin the Black. A very few might still live, somewhere in the remoter mountains, but probably no more than two or three. Four, if you counted Paarthurnax.

She ducked instinctively as whatever it was flew closer, roaring words. Not thu'um, but Calling, wanting to be heard. "Zu'u daal, joorre! Hi fen los dii ont einzuk! Zu'u hin thur, Alduin!"

"Great Divines, no!" But it was - not only a dovah, but Alduin himself, now that she could see him clearly. "I return, mortals," she murmured. "You will be mine once again! I am your overlord, Alduin!"

She had to warn people in Riverwood and Whiterun, then get back home and alert the Legion. But first, and since it was on the way anyhow, she ought to see just how bad the damage to Helgen was, and if there were any survivors.

She scrambled her way down to the road, then trotted toward the city, smelling the stink of burned flesh and stone as she neared. The smoke was still thick, but the fires seemed to be dying. She entered, exploring, hoping to hear or see someone alive, but that didn't happen. She found bodies in plenty, those outside burned to charred, unidentifiable remains, but those inside not in too bad shape.

She hadn't brought armor on what was supposed to be an easy visit around the western half of Skyrim, but with a dragon - _Alduin_! - on the rampage, she found a set in the Keep that she could adjust down to her size, and put it on. It was the heavy version, where she preferred light, but with Alduin flying around, she wasn't about to be picky. She'd brought her own sword and dagger, of course, both quality steel, so she was in good shape for the trip.

She hadn't gotten very far down the road before she saw a mixed group of Legionnaires, Stormcloaks, and civilians ahead of her, including a priestess in the black robes of Arkay. That was good; it meant anyone injured had been healed. Shanti hurried to catch up with them, and was both surprised and gratified to recognize one of the Legionnaires from Solitude. "Hadvar!" she called. "I'm glad you're okay, but what about the General? And ... and my father?" Hadvar was part of General Tullius' bodyguard, which her father commanded, so if Hadvar had been at Helgen, so had they.

The group stopped, and Hadvar turned around. "Shanti! What're you doing out here, young lady? They made it to the Keep, though not out the tunnel with us, but since the Keep was still standing, I imagine they'd be heading for Falkreach."

"They weren't among the bodies I saw when I looked around the Keep, so I pray you're right."

"Hey, what're you doing in standard Legion armor? You joined up?"

Shanti shook her head. "Not yet, still a Junior, but I didn't bring my own armor along. I found this in Helgen when I went down to see how bad it was. I'm touring the Imperial part of Skyrim, and was camped above the city, when I saw smoke, and then ... a dovah. Alduin."

"You know him?" Hadvar asked. "I know you've devoured everything you could find about dragons, but that much?"

"Well, yes. There's only ever been one black one, the World-Eater. Besides, he identified himself. You must've heard him."

"We heard him say something as he flew west, but none of us speaks dragon. You do, I gather."

Shanti nodded. "The Bards College has copies of the grammar and dictionary the Greybeards compiled ages ago. I got Bard Gemane to let me study them, once Mother assured him I could be trusted with something that old."

"So what did he say?" one of the Stormcloaks asked. "I'm Emund, by the way."

"'I return, mortals,'" she replied. "'You will be mine once again! I am your overlord, Alduin!'"

"That ... um, sounds ominous," a civilian said. "The World-Eater - that means the end of the world!"

"Not necessarily," Shanti said. "At least not if you believe in prophecy, because Alduin's supposed to herald the Last Dragonborn."

"Book of the Dragonborn," Hadvar said, nodding. "But let's get going again. We can talk on the way to Riverwood."

Once they were walking again, he said, "I thought the Tongues defeated Alduin at the end of the Dragon Wars. Apparently not as thoroughly as we were led to believe, though. Did your studies tell you anything of who this Dragonborn will be, or how he'll be discovered?"

"Not really," Shanti replied. "I'm assuming, like everyone else, he'll be a Nord warrior. As to how he'll be discovered, when he kills a dovah, he makes the death permanent by 'devouring its soul'. So until a dragon and the Dragonborn meet, we probably won't know."

"I suppose you're right. So what're you going to do now? We have to warn Riverwood, of course - it looked like the dragon flew right over Bleak Falls Barrow. Then my men and I need to go to Falkreath and hope to find General Tullius and any other survivors. At least I hope he and others survived. Too many didn't."

"On either side," Emund agreed. "We both lost good men, and these are the only civilians we could find alive. Once the truce to get them to safety is over, my men and I will be going back to Windhelm." He hesitated. "Uh, did you see anything of Jarl Ulfric?"

"I don't know him, so I can't say," Shanti replied. She thought for a moment, then said, "And neither of you can alert the Jarl in Whiterun, because he's strictly neutral." She sighed. "I guess that'll be my job, then. Assuming I can get into town, since I'm Khajiit, and we're kept outside the walls."

"That sounds reasonable," both men agreed, and Hadvar continued. "You'll need to get rid of that Imperial armor yourself, or his neutrality alone would keep you out. But if you're in civilian armor, and there to report a dragon, you'll probably be able to get in." He turned to Emund. "Don't you think so?"

The Stormcloak nodded. "Balgruuf's a smart man, cares a lot for his people. He won't keep even a Khajiit out if letting one in helps them. But I also think we should send a few hunters out; Riverwood's a small village, and it's not likely to have enough food for all these people."

"Good thinking," Hadvar agreed. "Two of yours and two of mine should be enough, I'd think." When Emund nodded, both gave orders, and the hunters moved out.

The rest of the group made a left at the first intersection, and a right at the next, heading downhill all the way. Almost immediately, shanti saw three Standing Stones, the first time she'd seen more than one in a single place, and she purred. "Those are the Guardian Stones, aren't they?"

"Sure are," Emund replied, grinning. "Planning to try your luck? You have a choice between Mage, Warrior, and Thief."

"Not Thief," Shanti replied promptly. "Mums and Dad would be horrified. But of the other two, I'm less sure. I know four spells, thanks to the battlemages of the Legion, and I'm pretty good with bow, sword, dagger, and mace, thanks to Junior Legion training." She turned to Hadvar. "I know the Legion has a few who aren't pure mage or warrior, so I'll defer to your judgement. Which would be better?"

Hadvar looked thoughtful. "What spells do you know?"

"Healing, Flames, Sparks, and Clairvoyance. My magica, I'm told, is about apprentice level."

"Hmm. Limited but useful repertoire, and plenty good for an auxiliary. I'd say go for the Warrior - improved weapon ability can make up for your lack of size. But I'd stick with light armor, to take advantage of your natural agility."

"I prefer light, actually," Shanti said with a chuckle. "This was just the only suit I could make semi-fit. I hope Riverwood has a blacksmith willing to trade this for something less clumsy."

Hadvar laughed. "It does. My uncle Alvor, in fact, and I'm pretty sure he'll have something. He specializes in heavy, since that's what most Nords prefer, but I think he keeps some light on hand for mer, and the few Nords who use it. Since I can assure him that what you're wearing is salvage rather than loot, I'm sure he'll give you an even or near-even trade."

"In that case, Warrior it is. If the Stone agrees." Shanti climbed up on the Guardian Stones' platform, then approached the Warrior Stone, removed her gauntlets, and placed her bare hands flat against the Stone. "If it please you," she said softly, "grant me the ability to improve my skills faster than I otherwise could."

Warmth flowed into her hands, and light flooded her from the hole near the Stone's top. It felt wonderful and she didn't want it to stop, but of course it did. She stepped back and bowed to the Stone. "Thank you."

When she rejoined the group, Emund grinned at her. "Remind me never to go against you in battle, Legionnaire-to-be. I don't care to fight someone with such an obvious blessing." Then he changed the subject, rather to her relief. "I don't believe I've ever seen a Khajiit with long fur, or that mottled coloring."

"The short-hairs are much more common, but both my parents are long-hairs, so I am, too. Mother's a calico, and Father's a gray tabby. The result was me, a tortoiseshell. Or tortie, if you don't want to use the full name." She grimaced. "Times I wish I were a shorthair - they don't get as many hairballs!"

Everyone chuckled at that, and one of the civilian children imitated the harfing sound of a cat eliminating a hairball, until his mother cuffed him and rebuked him for his discourtesy. "And you call them Khajiit, not cats," she added for good measure.

They set off toward Riverwood again, but didn't get far before Hadvar signaled a stop, then called Emund forward. "Feel like doing some bandit hunting? As long as this place has been deserted, it must've attracted some. And Riverwood's home to decent people who don't deserve to be raided."

Emund nodded. "The two of us, one of yours, one of mine, and if she's willing, young Shanti, since neither of us have any magic. The rest keep on to Riverwood."

"Maybe, if she's willing. She's not under my command, so I can't order her to."

Shanti approached them. "I heard, and I'm willing. How do we do this?"

"I have a bow, and you have magic," Hadvar said, "so we go first. The rest follow, and when it turns into hand-to-hand, we fade to the sides and let them through. Have you had to kill people yet?"

Shanti nodded. "It was supposed to be a training exercise at Fort Hraagstad, but bandits had moved in without being detected in Solitude. When the first team of Juniors didn't come out, my team went in, backed by regulars. I was in the first rank, with a battlemage. We each killed one, then let the melee fighters through." She paused. "It was a human skeever. The kill didn't bother me at all, except for the smell." In fact, she'd wanted to haul the bandit's body home and present it to her parents, but it had been too big.

Hadvar looked a bit surprised, but then grinned. "Let's go, then."

Side by side, weapons and her flame spell ready, the two climbed the board steps toward the mine. As soon as the bandit sentry at the mine's entrance spotted them, he ran forward, his sword out, yelling an alert. Hadvar fired his bow at the same time Shanti launched her spell. Both struck him at the same time, and he was dead before he could scream.

"Fur armor and an iron sword," Hadvar said. "If they're all that poorly equipped, this won't be much of a challenge for the five of us."

Behind them, Emund chuckled. "That's fine with me. Escaping that damn dragon after almost being executed is plenty of excitement for one day. Just leave the rest of us a few."

Inside the mine, they paused to let the men's eyes adjust, then Hadvar and Shanti advanced, as quietly as they could. There were no bandits waiting for them, so apparently the sentry's yell hadn't been heard, but Shanti spotted a trip-wire seconds before Hadvar would've triggered it. She pointed it out, and they went around, then heard footsteps and voices approaching. Again the lead two readied bow and spell. This time Hadvar took the first one and Shanti waited for the second, aiming flames at his face. Hadvar's went down silently, but hers had time for a brief scream before he died.

As they continued, they found a skeleton with a small coin purse, which Hadvar took. The quarters were getting a bit too close for ranged weapons, so while they had room, the three melee fighters took over the lead. "Fur armor and iron weapons aren't worth salvaging," Hadvar said. "Normally I'd say the same about food, and just take cash and potions, but with all the escapees, I think we ought to take any food we come across, as well."

"Good idea," Emund agreed, leading the way to a small chamber. A lever there dropped a wooden bridge, which alerted bandits both entering the other end of the chamber and more on another bridge, who began firing arrows and spells. Hadvar and Shanti returned fire, able to take cover, unlike their foes, so they were quickly victorious. They followed the other three, now on the bridge they'd been firing at. That one led to another section of the mine, where they found a cell with food, a bit of gold, a Clairvoyance spell tome, a bunch of iron weapons, and a chest with more coins and some gems, plus an enchanted iron dagger.

That turned out to be the major find, as far as standard loot went, but they continued exploring, finding more coins, and a fair amount of food and drink - enough that all five were carrying full packs when they neared the mine opening again. Hadvar stopped them just inside. "Standard distribution all right with everyone?"

When they all agreed, he divided the cash and the five amethysts evenly, then they rolled dice for the three garnets and the enchanted dagger. Shanti ended up with about a hundred septims in cash, an amethyst, and one of the garnets. After distribution was complete, they returned to the road and finished the trip to Riverwood.

It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, Hadvar taking Shanti to see his uncle while the rest continued further into town. Alvor greeted them, frowning. "The first people to get here told us Helgen's gone, because of a dragon. Come inside, you two, and tell me all about it while we have an early supper. Sigrid's got a stew that's been simmering since noon."

Once they were sitting at the table with stew, bread, and ale, Alvor said, "Now, then, boy. Helgen was destroyed. How did you get away?"

"I don't know where to start," Hadvar said. "You know I was assigned to General Tullius' guard. We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked ... by that dragon."

Alvor nodded. "That's what the folk from Helgen said. I didn't believe it at first - didn't want to."

Sigrid sighed. "Husband. Let him tell his story."

"We'd captured Ulfric Stormcloak and quite a few of his men near the Cyrodiil border, and took them to Helgen for execution. Ulfric actually had his head on the block when the dragon landed on the Keep and killed the executioner. Everything turned to chaos then, and I'm not sure what happened to him. Killed, I hope. Emund and I made a temporary truce to get what few civilians survived out through the Keep's escape tunnel. Not too long afterward, Shanti found us and ... Divines, Uncle, she was able to identify the dragon." He took a deep breath. "It's about as bad as it can get, I'm afraid. She says it's Alduin, back from whatever the first Tongues did with him."

Sigrid let out a muffled shriek. "Divines, no! Not the World-Eater!" She turned to Shanti. "You must be mistaken - tell us it's not Alduin!"

"Pray for the Dragonborn," Hadvar said grimly. "Remember the prophecy - when Alduin appears, so does the Last Dragonborn. But Alduin or not, we have to get word to Jarl Balgruuf. Uncle, can you help?"

"Of course!" Alvor exclaimed. "I'm glad to help however I can." He paused. "Riverwood is defenseless... We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf to send whatever soldiers he can spare."

"Then do you have some light, non-aligned armor you can trade Shanti for what she's wearing? It's honest salvage, not stolen."

Alvor frowned. "You're not Legion, girl? I thought you were one of Hadvar's troops."

Shakti sighed. "Junior Legion only, sir. I should be wearing green, not red, but ... Alduin. I don't care to be unarmored in the open."

"Let me check, then. I think I have some of that fancy Elven stuff in storage ... don't get much call for light armor, here." He rose from the table and went downstairs, returning a few minutes later with some dusty armor. "I'll take this out to the forge, clean it up, make sure the straps are sound, that sort of thing. You'll both stay the night, of course."

Shanti nodded gratefully. "I appreciate the hospitality - the inn, if there is one, is going to be full. Just wake me at first light, if you would. I want to get on the road early."

Alvor laughed. "There's an inn, the Sleeping Giant, at the far end of town, and yes, it's full enough most of the Helgen folk are staying with local families until Jarl Siddgeir can make arrangements in his own hold."

He went outside, and Shanti heard noise from the forge while she, Hadvar, Sigrid, and Dorthe finished their supper. Shortly before dark, Alvor came back inside with the armor and handed it to her. "Try this on, please. I modified it a bit, so I think it'll fit, but I may need to make more adjustments."

Shanti went downstairs and changed, then carried the Legion armor back upstairs. "It feels fine, Alvor," she said. "Much nicer than the heavy."

He checked the fit, adjusted a strap, and smiled. "I'm glad someone will finally be getting some use out of it."

The group chatted for an hour or so, then banked the fires and went to bed - or, since Shanti didn't want to take over Dorthe's bed, a bedroll on a rug downstairs.


	2. Whiterun

Author's Note: Yes, I said in the blurb that this is an alternate universe. Some of the differences: Many of the distances will be longer, since I think many of them - such as Windhelm to just about anywhere else - are a bit short. On the other hand, some seem too long. So I'll mostly stick to game distances/times, but don't be shocked at differences when I think they fit. Other adjustments will be made as seem appropriate in a more realistic (yeah, I know!) setting, such as cities/towns being larger, with more people. OTOH, don't be too surprised if the Divines or Daedra make a rare appearance (and it will be rare; otherwise, they screw up a story too much.)

Oh, and most of my updates will be on Fridays. If I have an unusually productive week, as this last one, you may get one on a Tuesday, but you shouldn't expect anything other than Fridays.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Whiterun

Sigrid insisted that Shanti have breakfast before she left, and packed her a lunch as well. Then Shanti bade them farewell, and left for Whiterun. The weather was pleasant, and the one wolf she saw took a look at her and decided to leave. She chuckled at that. Had it tried biting someone in armor before? A deer crossed her path, but was gone before she could unlimber her bow. She shook her head, but she didn't need food, and it would be a long haul to the city, so it might be just as well.

It was late morning when she descended onto the plain and made her way toward the city on the hill. She hadn't gone far when she saw three people battling a giant. It was second nature to ready her bow, then start shooting as soon as she was in range. She had a lucky hit when the giant moved its head, taking an arrow that was going to miss, right in its eye. It stumbled, which let the big Nord fighter move in with his sword and deliver the killing blow. When the giant fell, shaking the ground, the archer - in skimpy gear Shanti wouldn't call armor - turned to her.

"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield-Sister."

"Thank you, but it was a lucky shot." Shanti caught a wet-dog scent from the woman, and frowned to herself. She'd smelled that before, but couldn't quite place when, or what it meant. She nodded politely. "I'm on my way to Whiterun, to deliver a message from Riverwood."

"City's closed to outsiders," the woman said. "But we're headed back to Jorrvaskr; you're welcome to accompany us. I'm Aela of the Companions; the other two are Ria, a new whelp, and Farkas, the big one."

"And I am Shanti, of Solitude. What are the Companions?" The name was vaguely familiar, but she didn't know anything certain about them.

When the other two joined them, Aela replied. "An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions? An order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough."

"I've heard the name, no more. But it sounds like you serve a useful purpose; the Legion can't handle everything."

Farkas laughed at that. "How true! If you want to join us, you'll have to talk to Kodlak Whitemane up in Jorrvaskr. The old man's got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you go to him, good luck."

"Thank you. Perhaps after I speak to the Jarl, I will consider it." He had the wet-dog smell as well, and the reinforcement reminded her where she'd encountered it before. It had been several years ago, not long after she joined the Junior Legion. The regulars had caught a werewolf - a mungrohiik, in her preferred Dovahzul - and used it to teach the Juniors how to identify one in its human form. For her, the primary indicator had been that smell.

If one had to become a werewolf to be a Companion, she had no interest in doing so. She might consider thinking about it, if they were one of the Elsweyr varieties, a werelion, but a canid? No.

Still, she accompanied them to the city gates, where the guard admitted the three Companions, but stopped her. "Sorry, cat, but Khajiit aren't allowed in. Caravan's due tomorrow, though."

"This is an emergency," Shanti said. "I have word of the dragon attack on Helgen, and a plea from Riverwood for the Jarl."

One of the guards frowned, and gestured to the other. "Okay, you can go in. Just be careful, and we'll be keeping an eye on you. Keep climbing; Dragonsreach is at the top of the city. Can't miss it."

"Thank you." Shanti entered the city when the other guard opened the gate, and was surprised to find bustling crowds, like in Solitude. On the other hand, Whiterun's central location and Jarl Balgruuf's neutrality made it a natural trade hub, and the only place in the province where traders from Stormcloak and Imperial allied cities were both welcome.

An Imperial officer and a woman blacksmith were arguing, not far from the entrance gate. The officer was apparently trying to place an order. "We'll pay whatever it takes. But we must have more swords for the Imperial soldiers."

"I just can't fill an order that size on my own," the blacksmith protested. "Why don't you swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"

That suggestion got scorn. "Ha! I'd sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak. Besides, Gray-Mane would never make steel for the Legion."

"Have it your way. I'll take the job, but don't expect a miracle."

That gave Shanti an idea, so she approached. "Excuse me, Mistress - ?"

"Adrianne Avenicci, at your service." The blacksmith paused. "What's a Khajiit doing in the city?"

"News and an emergency petition for the Jarl. But I think I may be able to help with your problem, as well."

Adrianne grinned. "Promise to do something for me, since you're heading to Dragonsreach anyway, and I'll listen to your proposition as well."

An opportunist, but not unexpected for a merchant, so Shanti nodded. "What do you wish of me?"

"Nothing difficult. I've made a greatsword for the Jarl, and I'd like you to take it to his advisor - Proventus, my father - to present it to him."

"I am willing to do that, since it won't interfere with delivering my message." Shanti waited while Adrianne went into her shop and returned with a wrapped bundle, handing it to her. Shanti slung it on her back, with her bow.

"Now, what do you have to help me?" Adrianne asked.

"You might wish to contact the smith in Riverwood, Alvor," Shanti said. "He altered this elven armor to fit me, by eye, though he usually works iron or steel. When I was there, he didn't seem to be overly busy. Unfortunately, given his skill."

"Hmm." Adrianne moved around her, apparently studying the armor, then nodded. "If he did that by eye, he's more than skilled enough for my purposes. I'll send a courier this afternoon. Thanks."

"You are welcome. Now, I was told simply to go uphill to find Dragonsreach?"

"Basically true, but once you get to the market, take the stairs between the fruit and meat stalls. Then right past Jorrvaskr and that damn shouting Heimskr. Up the stone steps past him, and you're there."

"Thank you." Shanti began making her way through the crowd when the Imperial officer stopped her.

Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?" he demanded.

"What?" Shanti frowned in puzzlement. "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're asking."

He chuckled briefly. "No, I guess you wouldn't, at that. I'm Idolaf Battle-Born. Whiterun's got two clans, both old and both respected. Difference is, the Gray-Manes turned their backs on the Empire and we Battle-Borns stayed loyal. So I'll ask again, Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?"

"I am Junior Legion, sir. As such, I'm not allowed to get into family feuds. But my sympathies are clearly with your family."

"That's good enough, then. Would I know your parents?"

"If you've spent much time in Solitude, it's possible. Father is Tribune S'Jherek Bushy-Tail, and Mother is Bard Ko'Adanji Sweet-Voice."

"I've heard of both, but never had the pleasure of meeting either. Take care, Legionnaire." He turned away, heading toward a large and clearly prosperous inn.

Shanti continued on her own way, noting the general goods store, a clothier, an alchemy shop, and the inn - then she came to the stalls of merchants who for whatever reason didn't have a permanent shop. She kept getting stares and comments about a cat - few used Khajiit - in the city, but being armored and armed kept anyone from accosting her. She climbed the first set of steps, waving to Aela on the steps of what must be Jorrvaskr, then her ears went back in surprise to find "that damn shouting Heimskr" was a priest, wearing Talos' red robes, preaching loudly before a statue and shrine of the Ninth Divine.

How did he get away with it? Though she hadn't seen any Thalmor in the city, it was surprising. Did Whiterun escape their scrutiny for some reason, perhaps its neutrality? It must, or this priest would be in custody, not preaching, and she decided to take advantage of that absence. She approached the shrine and knelt for a few minutes' prayer. She was grateful that the priest grew silent as soon as she knelt; it made praying much easier. Alkosh and Talos, because of their connection to dragons, were her two favorite Divines, and she seldom had an opportunity to honor Talos openly.

When she finished her prayers and rose, she found Heimskr studying her, smiling, but with an expression of puzzlement on his face. "You worship Talos, my daughter?"

"I do, Holy Brother. I honor all the Divines, of course, but Alkosh and Talos especially."

"Akatosh is no surprise, since you call him the Great Cat, among other titles. But I confess to some surprise at Talos worship by a Khajiit. And considerable pleasure, of course. If you want to talk about Him, I'm here all day."

"Thank you, Holy Brother. I will remember that." Shanti bowed politely to him, then continued on her way, up the marble stairs to Dragonsreach. She wasn't sure, but it looked like it might be even larger than the Blue Palace in Solitude. The door guard didn't question her, just opened the huge door for her.

The throne hall was beautiful, if in a different way from the Blue Palace, and she looked around as she went toward where Jarl Balgruuf was talking to a man she presumed was his steward, the blacksmith's father. Then she noticed a Dunmer approaching, sword drawn, and she stopped, holding her hands out from her sides, open.

"The Jarl is busy, and not to be disturbed," the Dunmer said. "What's your business with him?"

"I have news of Helgen, and an urgent request from Riverwood. It's in great danger."

Balgruuf turned to them. "It's all right, Irileth. I want to hear what she has to say."

When Shanti approached him and bowed, he said, "Who are you, and what's this about Riverwood being in danger?"

"I'm Shanti of Solitude. A dragon has destroyed Helgen, and Alvor is afraid Riverwood is next. He saw it flying overhead."

"Alvor? The smith, isn't he? Reliable, solid fellow. Not prone to flights of fancy... And you're sure Helgen was destroyed by a dragon? This wasn't some Stormcloak raid gone wrong?"

"Quite certain, my Jarl. I was camped above the city, and saw the dragon fly away from it toward me, then turn toward Riverwood."

Balgruuf turned to his steward. "What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

The Dunmer didn't let the steward answer. "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains..."

"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation!" the steward objected. "He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him."

"Enough!" Balguuf snapped. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

"Yes, my Jarl." The Dunmer bowed and left.

"We should not..." the steward started to object again.

"I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!"

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties."

"That would be best." Then Balgruuf turned his attention back to Shanti. "Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem."

He handed her a glass dagger, then continued. "There is another thing you could do for me. Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and ... rumors of dragons."

If it had to do with dragons, she was most definitely interested, so she followed him to an office/workshop on the next level down. When they entered, he spoke to the tall man in hooded gray mage robes with gold trim. A Master-level generalist, then, Shanti thought.

"Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project. Go ahead and fill Shanti in with all the details."

"So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me?" Farengar said. "Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."

"What does this have to do with dragons?" Shanti asked.

Farengar smiled. "Ah, no mere brute mercenary, but a thinker - perhaps even a scholar? You see, when the stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumors. Impossibilities. One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything that falls outside his experience as being impossible. But I began to search for information about dragons - where had they gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from?"

Shanti smiled. "As well documented as dragons are? Great Divines, the documentation on them is overwhelming, if much neglected since the last to serve Emperor Tiber Septim was killed. I've been studying them since I was five or six ... I think I've read every book ever written about them."

"A scholar indeed!" Farengar grinned. "A minor test, if you don't mind. Name one known to live."

"There are four listed in Brother Mathnan's Atlas of Dragons, but that was back in the Second Era. Ahbiilok, Mirmulnir, Nahfahlaar, and Paarthurnax. How many, if any, of the first three are still alive, I can't say. But Paarthurnax is known to lair at the Throat of the World, protected by the Greybeards of High Hrothgar."

"A scholar indeed. So learned I perhaps shouldn't let you go after the Dragonstone," Farengar said.

"Dovahgolz," Shanti said absently. "You couldn't keep me from it, now. Where is it?"

"You even know Dovahzul?" Farengar looked impressed.

"Geh, of course. Bards College has a copy of the grammar and dictionary the Greybeards compiled. I can speak, read, and write it. Though I may speak it with an atrocious accent, since I've only heard one dragon use a few words ."

"Great Divines. I may not be able to stop you, but I can't let you go into Bleak Falls Barrow alone. Come with me."

He led her back to the Jarl. "My Jarl, this girl is ... as knowledgeable about dragons as I am. She cannot be allowed to go after the Dragonstone alone."

Balgruuf frowned. "She is that valuable? Perhaps she shouldn't go at all, then."

"No!" Shanti yowled. "You can't stop me! This is too valuable!" She took a couple of deep breaths and calmed herself. "I'll take someone else along if you insist, my Jarl, but I'm going."

Balgruuf chuckled. "I can't stop you, young lady, if you feel that strongly. But I think sending backup with you, as Farengar wishes, is a good idea."

As my Jarl wishes. A spellsword would be nice, if one is available."

Balgruuf shook his head. "None have decided to set up residence in Whiterun. You'll have to settle for a plain warrior - Alaric the Fearless comes to mind. He's one of the Companions, and I've hired him before. Courageous and reliable, but ... not an intellectual. I doubt he even knows how to read."

Shanti was a bit dubious about a Companion, and if he smelled of werewolf, she wouldn't travel with him, but it was worth checking him out. "Very well, my Jarl. Ah, do you know his fee? I only have about five hundred septims with me."

"You pay the Companions, not the individual, and they decide how much of the fee he gets. But since you're taking somebody else at my request, I'll pay." He handed her a note. "Give this to Skjor, Kodlak, or Aela, and tell them I recommended Alaric."

"Yes, my Jarl. But Adrianne Avenicci sent this package for her father; may I give it to him before I leave?"

"Certainly. Proventus?"

The steward approached, and she handed him the wrapped greatsword. "From Adrianne?" he said. "Ah, this must be that weapon for the Jarl. Poor girl, so eager to prove herself. I'll present it to Balgruuf when his mood is ... agreeable. Thank you. Please, take these few coins, for services rendered."

She accepted twenty septims - excessive, in her opinion, for such a minor service, but she wasn't going to turn it down. Then she left, heading for Jorrvaskr.

* * *

When she entered the mead hall, there was a fist-fight going on, with the onlookers cheering one or the other, except for a one-eyed man who was yelling advice to both of them. That could mean he was one of those she'd been told to speak to.

She waited until the fight was over and approached him, wrinkling her nose as she smelled wet dog again. "Excuse me, please? I am looking for Skjor, Kodlak, or Aela, and I don't see her."

The man turned to her. "I'm Skjor. And you'd be the Khajiit that helped Aela, Farkas, and Ria at the Pelagius farm. Looking to join us?"

"Not at the moment, thank you," Shanti said. "I am here on Jarl Balgruuf's behalf, to hire Alaric the Fearless to accompany me to Bleak Falls Barrow."

"So you're the principal, but Balgruuf's footing the bill?" When she nodded, he bellowed, "Alaric! Got a job for you!"

Alaric turned out to be a stereotypical Nord warrior, tall and blond and very muscular. "What kinda job, Skjor?"

"Trip to Bleak Falls Barrow. This Khajiit's your principal, but the Jarl's footing the bill." He turned to Shanti. "So just what is the job?"

"I am to retrieve something called the Dragonstone for Court Wizard Farengar. I think I could do it alone, but they insist I have assistance, and recommended Alaric the Fearless." She took the man's hand and sniffed it. Sweat and sun, with a touch of steel, but no hint of mungrohiik, and she smiled. "I like his smell. He will be fine."

Alaric looked at her quizzically. "You gonna head-butt me too, like Blacky and Patches?"

Those had to be house-cats, so she shook her head, purring. "Khajiit don't do that. You're safe."

He laughed. "I like you. Sure, I'll go with you. When do we leave?"

"First thing in the morning. Or right after breakfast, at least. Meet me at the inn at the bottom of the stairs."

"I'll see you then."


	3. Bleak Falls Barrow

.

Chapter 3 - Bleak Falls Barrow

Shanti and Alaric were both fully equipped when they met at the door of the Bannered Mare. He wore Orcish armor, with a steel battleaxe strapped to his back, and a pair of Orcish maces at his belt. She chuckled. Not the subtle type at all! Well, a barrow shouldn't require subtlety; they generally had draugr, and occasionally bandits in the upper levels.

It was a decent day for late summer, not too hot, and the walk from Whiterun to Riverwood offered them a chance to stop at the Sleeping Giant for lunch, which they took. When they were done, Shanti was ready to head up to the Barrow, but Alaric asked, "Can we visit the Trader first? I've known Lucan and Camilla for years, but I don't get to Riverwood very often."

Shanti chuckled. "Sure, why not? Farengar and I are both eager to see the Dragonstone, but that doesn't mean we have to drop everything else for it."

While Alaric went to the Riverwood Trader, Shanti went across the street to Alvor's forge, wondering if Adrianne had sent the courier as she'd said the would. Alvor saw her approaching, and grinned. "Riverwood owes you thanks for getting us extra guards, and I owe you even more. I've gotten a very nice sub-contract for officers' swords from Warmaiden's proprietress - not the iron enlisted swords, the good steel ones. That's a nice windfall for the family."

Shanti smiled. "She was impressed with the work you did on my armor, and I am glad it works well for you. Did Hadvar go to Falkreath?"

"Yes - the Stormcloaks headed back for Windhelm once the Helgen people were settled. Hadvar and his men waited until the extra guards from Whiterun arrived, so they didn't leave till this morning. It seems his commanding officer is your father. Are you going to see him?"

"Not right away," Shanti said. "I'm on a mission for the Jarl - actually, his Court Wizard, Farengar Secret-Fire - along with a Companion warrior, Alaric the Fearless. I'll see Father and Mother when I get back to Solitude. It should only take a day or two, more quickly than if I were to continue my tour."

"They'll probably have left by the time you could get to Falkreath anyway," Alvor said with a nod.

She and Alvor chatted for a bit longer, then were joined by his daughter, Dorthe, who was learning smithing, and eagerly told Shanti, "Some day I'm going to forge my own sword! But right now, Papa says I'm not ready for weapons. So I make lots of horseshoes and hobnails."

She sounded terribly disappointed, so Shanti smiled. "Never underestimate the importance of even a small part, Dorthe. And even those must be well-made. Have you ever heard "The Song of a Nail?"

The girl shook her head, and even Alvor looked puzzled. "I'm not sure I've ever heard it," he said. "Doesn't sound like the sort of thing our local bard sings. Would you?"

"Well, I don't have a voice anywhere near as good as my mother's, so I'd rather not sing, but I'll be happy to chant it for you. Will that do?"

"Please," Alvor said.

"Very well." She had a singer's breath control, at her mother's insistence, but her singing voice was no better than average, so she chanted.

"For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the message was lost.

For want of a message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."

By the time she was finished, Dorthe was staring at her. "Wow! Did that really happen?"

"I'm pretty sure it did, back in the First Era sometime," Shanti said. "I'm not good enough on ancient military history to tell you which battle or kingdom those were, though."

"Okay, so I'll learn to make really _good_ nails, and work up from there," Dorthe said with determination. "Nothing's gonna be lost because something _I_ made wasn't good enough!"

"Good girl," Alvor said fondly, ruffling his daughter's hair. "And thanks, Shanti. I like that one."

"Hey, Shanti!" That was Alaric's voice, and she turned to see him crossing the street, a wide grin on his face. When he got closer, he said, "Bad news for Lucan, but maybe good for us. Some thief stole a golden claw from his shop - it's a trademark of sorts for him - and if we recover it, he'll get us a nice reward. He says there's bandits at Bleak Falls Barrow, and since the ones at Embershard Mine were cleared out, it's almost got to be there."

Shanti's ears twitched in amusement at his enthusiasm, then she turned back to Alvor and Dorthe. "It seems I must go now. Give my regards to Sigrid, please."

With that, she and Alaric headed out of town and up the pathway to the ancient barrow. As they neared it, she readied her bow, searching for possible lookouts. Her first indication came when an arrow struck Alaric's breastplate and bounced off.

She drew and fired toward where it had come from in one swift motion, hearing a cry from the top of the stairs at the far end of the path. Alaric readied his maces as they climbed, but it seemed the one she'd wounded was incapacitated - Alaric killed him and looted the body, grinning. "Good shootin', Shanti. You want any of this?"

"Hmm. What is your pay for this job?"

"Standard is six hundred to the Companions, and if I bring you back alive, I get half. Why?"

"Because while I currently live with my parents, I'll be expected to set up my own household by this time next year. Yet going through a barrow is worth more than three hundred septims. How would you feel about an even split? If you get to keep what we find, that is."

"I do, and that sounds more than fair. Let's go!"

Shanti grinned at his enthusiasm, then led the way toward the barrow entrance, finding two dead bandits on the way. They took what few valuables the bandits had, and continued.

Inside, they found dead skeevers, and more dead bandits, plus a couple of emptied chests. "Someone obviously got in ahead of us," Shanti said. "This could be bad for both our missions. But we must continue."

"Yeah. So far, so good. Just have to find the claw an' the Dragonstone. No problem, at this rate."

"True." They continued, finding another couple of dead bandits, until they found what looked more like an adventurer trying to open a gate that already had someone dead by a lever. He threw it, then screamed and fell himself, atop the first body.

"Idiot," Alaric commented. "Even I know to look for puzzles, an' this ain't a hard one. Match the pillars to somethin' nearby, and you'll get through, no problem."

Yes, Shanti had read about Nordic puzzles, so she looked around, finding the puzzle indicators on a ledge above, with the central one missing ... probably the one smashed on the floor, but still decipherable. She set the pillars to snake, snake, whale, and moved toward the lever, but Alaric stopped her. "You're th' principal; this's my job." He threw the lever, and sighed when the gate opened, and he didn't get hit by poisoned darts.

"Prob'ly draugr from here on," Alaric commented, drawing both maces. Shanti drew her sword and charged a flame spell, since it was common knowledge that draugr were very susceptible to flame.

Almost as soon as they passed the gate, a sarcophagus opened, and a draugr charged them. Alaric was in the way, so Shanti couldn't cast her flames, but he subdued and killed it easily. They continued on, killing more draugr, until they came to a room protected by a "door" of spider-webs. Alaric smashed through them with one of his maces, and Shanti sighed. A short burst of flame would've been easier ... but his method had worked, so she said nothing.

Then she heard yelling from the far end of the room. "Is... is someone coming? Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Soling? I know I ran ahead with the claw, but I need help!"

They were moving toward the voice when Shanti heard scrabbling, looked around, and saw the biggest frostbite spider she'd ever encountered. It wasn't moving as well as they usually did, so perhaps the trapped man had inflicted some damage before being immobilized. Anything with frost in its name was vulnerable to fire, so she hastily charged a flame spell and cast it before Alaric charged, both maces going. She dodged to one side so she could get clear aim for another gout of fire at its thorax while Alaric went for its head. The spider was tougher than the draugr had been, and she was rather glad that Balgruuf had insisted she not come alone. Both of them were panting by the time magic and maces killed the spider.

"You did it," the man said. "You killed it. Now cut me down before anything else shows up."

Alaric snorted. "Where's Lucan's golden claw?"

"Yes, the claw," the thief babbled. "I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together! Help me down, and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there."

Alaric turned to Shanti. "I don't trust him. What do you say?"

"He is an admitted thief; kill him. Then we search the body for the golden claw."

Alaric didn't argue, just did as she'd said, and rose to hand her the claw and a journal. "Ain't gold. Not heavy enough. Just gold-plated, if that. But I don't think Lucan cares."

Shanti read the journal aloud. "My fingers are trembling. The Golden Claw is finally in my hands, and with it, the power of the ancient Nordic heroes. That fool Lucan Valerius had no idea that his favorite store decoration was actually the key to Bleak Falls Barrow.

"Now I just need to get to the Hall of Stories and unlock the door. The legend says there is a test that the Nords put in place to keep the unworthy away, but that 'When you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands.'"

Neither had more than minor injuries, so they continued on their way, finding some minor loot, including a soul gem, before more draugr began rising. Alaric waded in with his maces before Shanti could do more than charge a flame spell. She didn't want to hit him, so she let it subside, but when the three draugr were down, she got into the lead. She carefully stepped over a pressure plate, passing by a spiked wall trap.

She heard movement ahead, and charged another flame spell. This time she got to use it, as three more draugr appeared. She cast the spell, hearing Alaric exclaim as she burned one and used her sword on another. He took care of the third, at which point they were faced by a corridor full of swinging blades.

Alaric started to charge through, but she stopped him. "Let me - the blades are high enough above the floor for me to crawl past, and there should be a switch of some sort at the far end to stop them."

"Okay," he said, but there was clear doubt in his voice. "Be careful, though."

"I will." Carefully, hugging the wall where the blades were furthest above her, she made her way through the corridor, praying no draugr would catch her in such a vulnerable position. She was fortunate, and made it through without incident, then found a pull-chain that turned the blades off so Alaric could join her.

They passed through catacombs, fighting off the occasional draugr, until they arrived in a large chamber with a waterfall. There was a stronger draugr here, but he was as dessicated as the rest, and fell to her flames. Past him, another pull-chain opened a grate to allow the two to go downstream along the creek the waterfall fed. A segment of tunnel led past some abandoned mining equipment and another chest with minor loot.

There was no clear indication of where to go from here, so she cast Clairvoyance, and followed its guidance straight ahead, to a stone bridge with a frost troll. It spotted them, and she hastily charged flames yet again, casting the spell as soon as it was ready, but the troll was tougher than the draugr, and she exhausted her magica before it went down.

Alaric shoved past her, battle-axe ready, and finished off the weakened troll by beheading it while she dug out a magica potion and gulped it down, then went to join Alaric. "Are you all right?"

"I'm gonna have some impressive bruises, but I don't think it managed t' break any skin or bones. Nothing worth wasting a healing potion on."

There was no point in offering to heal him, then, Shanti thought. "In that case, shall we continue?"

They did that, coming to a chamber with tangled vines - or maybe roots - half-concealing a draugr at a door several yards away. Flames hitting it attracted its attention, and she focused on keeping them going as it came within range of Alaric's battle-axe. As soon as it did, he beheaded it with a single blow. They looted it and a nearby chest, then went through the door.

There was another swinging-blade trap, but this time she could see a draugr on the far side, and she wasn't about to crawl past the bades with an enemy right there. Well, with proper timing, she could shoot it, so she readied her bow, watching the blade shafts, and when they were in proper position, she fired. Her arrow hit the draugr in the shoulder and it rushed them, sword-first. She got off another arrow, then backed up, wondering how far it would come.

To her astonishment, it ran straight into the trap, which killed it and jammed the blades to a stop. She turned to Alaric. "I knew that draugr lost most of their intelligence at either death or reanimation, but I never heard they were suicidal."

He shrugged. "I've never seen that either. But then I've only been in a couple places that had 'em, so that's not sayin' much. If you can squeeze through an' turn the blades off, I'll haul that out an' join you."

Shanti did as he suggested, and he joined her moments later. The next chamber held several tables with loot, which they took. There was a puddle of oil on the floor as well, so once the tables were empty, they returned to the entry, and Shanti looked at Alaric. "I have an idea, and your voice is probably louder than mine. Yell one of your war cries, then back up a bit while I set that oil on fire."

"You got it, boss." He grinned, then shouted, "For the Companions!" at a volume that startled her. A flame spell set the oil blazing as two draugr charged down a log ramp from an upper level, while she and Alaric backpedaled.

Like the one at the second blade trap, the draugr immolated themselves, leaving the two to proceed in peace. The draugr had come down the ramp, so they went up, then across a bridge and through an iron door, into a chamber with carvings on both long walls and - "Is that a puzzle door?" Shanti asked. "It matches the descriptions I've read, but I've never seen one myself."

"Yeah, it is, and according to the journal, that golden claw's the key."

They approached the door, and Shanti examined the claw carefully. There were tiny engravings on its "palm" that fit the journal entry, and matching symbols on the door, but in a different order. Not terribly difficult, she thought, and rotated the door's rings to coincide with the claw's symbols. Then she inserted the claw into what was obviously a "keyhole" in the center, and rotated it.

Slowly, the door descended, leaving the claw in her hand. She gave it back to Alaric, then cautiously led the way into the large, sun-lit cavern the door revealed. There was no obvious danger, though there was a large sarcophagus on a platform in the center of the cavern. It also held a free-standing wall, and she caught her breath - could that be a Word Wall? She'd never encountered one, and they were nothing but memorials, but they dated back to the First or early Second Eras, and she stared at it in awe. She'd actually be able to touch one!

Otherwise, there was a large chest, a set of shelves with some things on them, a couple of braziers that had to be magical, and a set of stairs on the far side of the platform. They moved forward, then were startled by bats flying out the door. "Whoo!" Alaric exclaimed. "What d'you think, boss? The sarcophagus first, or the treasure chest?"

Shanti thought for a moment. "Sarcophagus," she decided. "Get any fighting out of the way first, then explore at our leisure."

As they approached the platform, though, she heard a wordless chanting, and the Word Wall seemed to be glowing faintly. She pointed. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Alaric asked, his confusion obvious.

"That. The glow, and the chanting from the Word Wall."

"Huh? What're you talking about?" Alaric asked. "I don' hear or see anythin'. At least nothin' odd like that."

"Um. Forget it, then. Let's take care of whatever's in that sarcophagus." Was she imagining things? Shanti wondered. Word Walls had never been known to do anything except stand there, yet she thought she was hearing and seeing something else? Maybe she'd brushed up against something with a hallucinogenic contact poison ...

She did her best to ignore the bluish light and chanting as they neared the sarcophagus and checked it out. There didn't seem to be any way to get it open, so they cleared the shelves and chest.

"Nice loot," Alaric commented. Then he looked at her. "Hey, boss, you okay? You look like you're about to bust out'a yer armor."

Shanti shivered. "I feel it. My fur is trying to stand straight out, and ... I feel pulled to that Wall. And we haven't found the Dragonstone!" The last was almost a wail.

"Hey, calm down," Alaric said. "Look, you go to the Wall, I'll take care of the sarcophagus if anything happens. Okay?" He readied his maces for dual-wielding and stood next to the head of the sarcophagus.

"Okay - and thank you, fahdoni." Shanti gave in to the impulses that drew her so strongly, and approached the Word Wall. It seemed almost triumphant at that, glowing more brightly, and one word seemed to launch itself from the Wall into her head.

Fus. Force. She knew that from her language studies, but it seemed to take on ... what, more significance? Power? What? ... now that the Wall gave it to her. She was so distracted by that, she barely heard what was going on behind her - the sarcophagus lid being thrown aside, Alaric fighting whatever was inside. She struggled back to normality, and saw Alaric being battered by a draugr Overlord, and that angered her.

She did something she'd never imagined possible. She Shouted. "Fus!" roared from her as she drew her sword, attacking the Overlord.

It was staggered briefly, then retorted with, "Ro ... DAH!", and she was thrown back against the Wall, stunning her.

By the time she recovered, Alaric was helping her to her feet, then settling her on the edge of the sarcophagus. "You okay, boss?" He handed her a carved stone. "Found this on the Overlord. May be what you're after."

"I'm not sure," she replied, still a bit shaky. "But it scares me. I ... I think I need a drink. And I seldom drink." She hesitated, taking the stone. "Yes, that looks right. At least is has Dovahzul writing."

"Good. An'You got the right man with you, you want a drink. I do, too." Alaric pulled his helmet off, then reached into his pack. "Ale, mead, or wine?"

"Wine, please." Shanti accepted the bottle he handed her, and wrenched the cork out with her fangs.

They drank for a bit in post-battle comradeship, then she asked, "Do you need healing? I was ... not exactly aware of everything going on."

"Nah, I'm fine. Maybe a few more bruises, but that thing couldn't handle dual-wielded maces." He laughed. "Pulped its head, an' that was that. So what now?"

"We return to Whiterun, and I report to Farengar and the Jarl. After that, I do not know. Though if what I suspect is accurate, I will probably go to High Hrothgar."

"Riverwood first," he corrected her. "Gotta return Lucan's claw. Fifty-fifty on the split of the reward?"

Shanti hesitated, then nodded. "I would let you have it all, but since I must establish a homestead within the year ... yes."

Fair's fair. So an even split on that, too." Alaric grinned. "You ever need more help, ask for me. You're good to work with."

"I will certainly consider it, though I have a feeling I'll be traveling by myself for a while." She finished her wine and stood. "Let's check out those stairs - maybe it'll lead to another exit, and we won't have to backtrack through the whole barrow."


	4. High Hrothgar

.

Chapter 4 - High Hrothgar

Once Alaric collected his reward and split it with her, Shanti sold Lucan most of her share of the gems they'd brought out, but kept the soul gems. She didn't know any enchanting yet, but if she ever decided to learn, she'd need the soul gems and a way to fill them.

It was too late to make it to Whiterun before dark, so they stayed at the Sleeping Giant Inn overnight, and left in the morning. There was a nip in the air, though as the sun rose higher, it warmed up, and by the time they got to the city, it was quite comfortable. The early chill hinted at the chance of an early autumn, and if she was going to be climbing the Seven Thousand Steps, it might be a good idea to see if Farengar would put a cold-resistance spell on something of hers.

She and Alaric said their goodbyes at the stairs to Jorrvaskr, and she continued on to Dragonsreach by herself. She went to Farengar's workshop, but hesitated at the doorway, since there was already someone in there with him. It looked like Delphine, from the Sleeping Giant, which was a bit of a surprise; an innkeeper interested in dragon lore?

Farengar was talking. "You see? The terminology is clearly First Era or even earlier. I'm convinced this is a copy of a much older text. Perhaps dating to just after the Dragon War. If so, I could use this to cross-reference the names with other later texts."

That caught Shanti's interest, since she didn't recall seeing anything that old.

"Good. I'm glad you're making progress." Yes, that was Innkeeper Delphine's voice. "My employers are anxious to have some tangible answers."

"Oh, have no fear," Farengar reassured her. The Jarl himself has finally taken an interest, so I'm now able to devote most of my time to this research."

"Time is running, Farengar, don't forget. This isn't some theoretical question. Dragons have come back."

"Yes, yes," Farengar said impatiently. "Don't worry. Although the chance to see a living dragon up close would be tremendously valuable ... Now, let me show you something else I found ... very intriguing ... I think your employers may be interested as well ... "

Delphine broke in before he could continue, gesturing toward Shanti. "You have a visitor."

Farengar seemed surprised to see her, but smiled. "Hmm? Ah, yes, my young scholar! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow already? I'm glad you made it safely. Was your mission successful?"

Shanti nodded, unslinging her pack and digging out the Dragonstone to hand it to him.

He took it eagerly, his smile widening. "Ah! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! My ... associate here will be pleased to see your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me."

He turned to Delphine. "So your information was correct after all. And we have our friend here to thank for recovering it for us."

Delphine studied her briefly. "You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work." Then she turned back to Farengar. "Just send me a copy when you've deciphered it."

He agreed, and Delphine left. Then Farengar must have noticed Shanti's expression, because he frowned. "What's the matter, young lady? Did something go wrong?"

Shanti hesitated. "Not ... wrong, really. At least I don't think so. But ... strange and a little frightening. I need some advice, but I don't want what happened to be public knowledge. At least not just yet."

Farengar's frown deepened, then he led her into a back room. "What is it, Shanti?"

Shanti took a deep breath. "There was a Word Wall in the chamber where we found the Dovahgolz. I could hear chanting as soon as we entered, then when I got about ten feet away, the Wall started ... glowing. When we moved away to open a sarcophagus, it started ... mentally pulling at me." She stopped when Farengar held up one hand.

"The Jarl has to know about this," he said. "Come along."

She followed him back into the workshop, then into the main hall and up near the throne. Farengar murmured something to Balgruuf, and got an astonished look, then the Jarl rose. "Both of you, come with me. Hrongar, take over until I get back." Then he led them upstairs, past a table with a large map that had several flagged pins stuck in it, up more steps, and into a luxurious office. The Jarl sat down at his desk. "Now. You say a Word Wall responded to your presence by chanting, then starting to glow and even attract you. How do you know it was you, and not Alaric?"

"Because he didn't hear or see anything until ... um, until the next thing happened. One of the inscription's words seemed to separate from the wall, and move into me. Fus."

"Force," Farengar translated for Balgruuf, then prompted Shanti. "Go on."

"When I turned to help Alaric fight a draugr overlord, I yelled it. And it threw the overlord back. But it yelled too, 'Ro DAH!' and I was thrown back into the Word Wall, half stunned. By the time I recovered, Alaric had it down."

"And what do you think this means?" Balgruuf asked gently.

"I can't be positive," Shanti said haltingly. "Nothing in any of my books mentioned any of that happening - the Word Walls have always been completely inert in every description I've read." She turned to Farengar. "Have you seen anything about it?"

the Court Wizard shook his head. "No. But ... are you sure you Shouted?"

"Yes. That I'm positive of. Nothing else could've thrown that overlord back."

"You Shouted without being trained by the Greybeards," Balgruuf said. "That's impossible, except for a Dragonborn. I can understand why you wanted to keep it secret for now. Farengar and I will respect your wishes, of course."

Shanti sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that, because that was the conclusion I'd come to myself. Which means I owe it to Skyrim and the Empire to get some training, not just go on instinct. I don't want to hurt anyone accidentally."

Balgruuf smiled. "Yes, I think that would be wise. A trip to High Hrothgar would seem to be in order." He looked wistful. "I made the pilgrimage once myself, years ago. I didn't see any of the Greybeards, of course; they're very reclusive. But I'm sure they'll open High Hrothgar to a Dragonborn, as they did with Talos over six hundred years ago. Of course, they summoned him ... "

He paused, turning to Farengar. "I'd like you to enchant something to keep her warm on the way up. As I understand it, Khajiit are rather susceptible to cold, and we certainly don't want the Dragonborn freezing to death."

Farengar nodded. "Certainly - it'll be ready before she leaves. And perhaps send a guard to see if anyone has a horse available that's bred and trained to allow a Khajiit rider."

"Good - do it. If anyone asks, it's in exchange for her fetching the Dragonstone for you."

"Of course, my Lord." Farengar bowed and left.

Shanti sighed. "I didn't ask for this, you know, my Jarl. I was planning a career in the Legion like my father - oh, Divines, I need to send them a letter to let them know I may be late getting home!"

Balgruuf chuckled. "I didn't think you had, young lady. No one with any sense would _ask_ for a capital-D Destiny. As for writing your parents ... be my guest." He stood, then offered her the desk-chair. "Write and seal it here, and I'll have a courier take it to them."

"Thank you, my Jarl." She took a sheet of very nice paper and a quill, wondering how to word her letter without either giving too much away, or worrying her parents.

She settled for a brief description of the events since Alduin had attacked Helgen, with promises to tell them the whole story when she got home. She also said she'd be delayed a bit, but she'd be fine, since it was just something she needed to learn, and she'd be home as soon as she could.

She signed and sanded the letter, then folded it and sealed it into an envelope addressed to her father at Castle Dour, and handed it to Balgruuf when she rose from the desk. "Thank you, my Jarl. I told them not to worry about me ... I hope it works."

Balgruuf resumed his seat and laughed. "It won't, at least not totally, but it should help. When do you want to leave for High Hrothgar?"

"Hmm. First thing in the morning, I think. If I start now, even on horseback, I'd have to camp near Helgen, and I doubt bandits would hesitate to start moving in. With a horse and an early start, I can duck around Helgen and still get to Ivarstead at a reasonable time."

She paused and grimaced. "I hope. Ivarstead's in the Rift, and if it has a Stormcloak presence at the Rift Hold border, they may not let me in. That could be ... awkward."

"True, given their attitude toward Betmer," Balgruuf agreed. "Come, tell me a bit about yourself, my young friend. How do you know enough about dragons to impress even Farengar?"

Shanti smiled, not at all reluctant to talk about her favorite subject. "I heard about dragons when I was ... probably about six, maybe a bit earlier. After that, I devoured everything I could find about them, and when I didn't have anything to read, drew pictures. Including some that weren't really dragons, because they had four legs, instead of just two.

"But it was mostly regular dragons. I have dozens of books about them. Not often the originals, but good copies, and most of those mostly memorized. That was how I recognized Alduin even before he named himself."

"Alduin?" Balgruuf was obviously shocked. "The World-Eater?"

Shanti thought back, and realized that she hadn't mentioned his name to the Whiterun Jarl. "Yes. Old Black-Wing himself. But I will do what I can to oppose him. You have my word on that."

"And I thank you for that pledge, Dragonborn. Do you want an escort to Ivarstead? I'll send a couple of guards, or hire Alaric again."

"I ... don't think so. I'm trying to keep my Shouting secret, but ... how do I say this? Part of me is eager to use it, and I'd really rather not, until the Greybeards can train me. So best no inadvertent witnesses if it gets the better of me."

"I think I understand," Balgruuf said. "So I won't offer you a Dragonsreach apartment for the night, either. But Hulda at the Bannered Mare only cares about your coin, not your race."

* * *

Shanti left the Bannered Mare the next morning to find a guardsman outside. "Mistress Shanti?" he asked.

She nodded, and he grinned. "I'm to take you to the stables, Mistress. Master Farengar got you a really nice horse. Palomino gelding, bred for Khajiit. Name of Golden Rainbow."

"A palomino named for a rainbow?" Shanti chuckled. "Someone must have an odd sense of humor, but as long as he's willing to carry a Khajiit, I'll be happy with him."

The guard led her out of the city and downhill to the stable, where he left the stablemaster to introduce her to her horse. She'd brought an apple and a carrot, hoping to reduce any apprehension even a properly bred and trained one might have about a new Khajiit, but to her surprise and pleasure, Golden Rainbow nuzzled her face and snorted, then pushed insistently at the hand holding the apple.

She chuckled, extending it on a flat palm, and chuckled again as the horse ate it, more delicately than she would have expected. The carrot followed, then she tied her pack to the rear of the saddle and mounted.

She wasn't in any hurry, so she took time to put Golden Rainbow through his gaits - and discovered that he was a pacer, not a trotter, which was a pleasant surprise since it was a much more comfortable gait. Even taking it fairly easy, riding was a lot faster than walking, and by the time they bypassed Helgen, it was barely noon. They stopped long enough for her to eat lunch and her horse to graze for a bit, then continued, arriving in Ivarstead shortly before twilight. She left him at the stable, and found her way to the inn.

Apparently it was the supper hour; the place was full, and rather noisy. But she didn't have any trouble getting to the counter where the innkeeper supervised what was going on, and except for someone muttering about "cat who doesn't know her place," no hostility. She grinned to herself as she removed her helmet and placed it on the counter. _Amazing_ how armor and weapons improved manners, even in Stormcloak territory.

"How can I help you, Miss?" the innkeeper asked. "Supper, some wine, a room for the night?"

"All of those, and some information as well," Shanti replied. "You appear to be busy, so perhaps I can eat here, while we talk?"

He shrugged. "Fine with me. Is stew okay, or you want something special?"

"Stew would be fine. I'm Shanti of Solitude, by the way."

"Wilhelm of Ivarstead." He turned to the cauldron over the fire, dipped out enough stew to fill a bowl, and handed it to her, along with some fresh bread, then poured her a glass of wine. "What kind of information are you after?"

"I'm making a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar. What can you tell me about it?"

"High Hrothgar? Hmm. The Greybeards are a solitary lot. I don't think they've ever ventured outside their monastery. We get the occasional pilgrim passing through here on their way to the summit, but almost all of them have returned disappointed. And you're the first Khajiit I've seen making the pilgrimage. Any particular reason?"

Shanti shrugged, hiding her hesitation with a bite of stew. She certainly couldn't tell them her real reason! "Nothing specific, I suppose," she finally said. "Just a feeling it's something I should do."

An older man who smelled of fish joined them. "If you're making the pilgrimage anyway, could I ask a favor?"

Shanti turned to him. "Certainly - what is it?"

"I've been taking the Greybeards food supplies for years, but much as I hate to admit it, the Seven Thousand Steps are getting to be a bit much for me. Could you take the pack I have ready for them up with you, and leave it in the offering box?"

Well, she wouldn't be carrying her own pack, so it would be no extra burden. "Certainly. May I ask what you send them?"

"Just basic stuff that won't spoil ... preserved fish, flour and yeast, some dried fruits and vegetables, that sort of thing. Not the kind of diet I'd care for, myself, but they've never complained. Not that I've ever seen one of them." He hesitated. "Not sure I'd want to, either. Being masters of the Thu'um, they could kill you by uttering a single word. Well, not that they would, I'm sure. They seem peaceful, but I wouldn't want to provoke them. "

Shanti chuckled. "I don't plan to. Do you have the pack here?"

"No, but I'll meet you at the bridge over the Darkwater River in the morning and give it to you. When are you planning to leave?"

"Right after breakfast. So perhaps at the eighth hour?"

"I'll be there."

* * *

The next morning, immediately after breakfast, Shanti headed for the bridge to get Klimmek's supplies. He was there as promised, and Shanti accepted the pack, slinging it on her back after re-arranging her bow so she could still get to it. "Can you tell me anything about the conditions on the way up?"

"Cold by the time you get to the fourth or fifth way-shrine, and colder the rest of the way. I hope you have some sort of frost-resistance spell."

"I do, but what are the way-shrines? Perhaps places to pray, on the way up?"

"More or less. There are ten of them, and they give a very abbreviated version of the history of men and dragons. Supposedly, if you read all of them, in order on the way up, you get a brief blessing from Kyne."

"I was thinking more about wildlife, but that could still be helpful."

Klimmek shrugged. "There are goats and deer on the lower slopes, and you'll find wolves at least half-way, but usually singles or pairs - I've never run into a full pack. Above the fifth way-shrine, I never encountered anything but a goat or two."

"That's good to know. From what I've heard, the weather will be enough of a challenge."

Klimmek chuckled. "Not according to our weather-witch; she says it's going to be clear and only a gentle breeze all day."

"Oh, good." Shanti sighed in relief. Bad weather, in addition to the inevitable cold, was something she really didn't need. Weather-witches weren't really mages, just people with a specialized gift, but any village fortunate enough to have one supported her - occasionally him - as an asset to be valued.

The first part of the climb was actually rather pleasant, and she only had to fight off a couple of wolves. By the time she reached High Hrothgar, though, she was exhausted and thoroughly chilled. She dropped off Klimmek's pack of supplies at the offering chest, then wearily made her way up the last flight of steps. At the door, she hesitated. She hadn't been invited, and they were known for their reclusiveness, but there was no one else she could ask for help. The only other person known to be able to Shout was Ulfric Stormcloak, and he was out of the question.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, then waited, wondering if anyone would bother to answer. To her surprise, it was less than a minute before the door opened, and a man in gray-brown robes and hood, his beard knotted, looked at her curiously. "I am Arngeir, speaker for the Greybeards," he said quietly. "Why are you here, child? The trip is difficult, so it must have some urgency."

Shanti bowed. "I am Shanti of Solitude, Master Arngeir. I have reason to believe I may be Dragonborn."

He stepped back, smiling. "Then come in, young lady. We are aware that Alduin has returned, so we were expecting a Dragonborn. Not in Khajiit form, however, nor arriving or our doorstep with no forewarning."

Shanti followed him into the huge stone building, where he stopped in the middle of the large entry hall and turned to her. "Now, what makes you believe you are Dragonborn?"

Shanti explained about the Word Wall glowing and giving her "Fus", and her use of it on the Overlord. "Then it used 'Ro Dah' on me," she said. "I haven't tried using those yet - I didn't want to Shout again at all until I could speak to you, and if you are willing, getting some training from you."

Arngeir was frowning in apparent puzzlement. "You were able to Shout, not only without training, but without absorbing a dragon's soul? We have always believed that even a Dragonborn must have a dovah's knowledge and understanding before Shouting. We must do it by learning a Word of Power and then unlock its meaning through constant practice, where a Dragonborn can absorb a slain dragon's knowledge and life force directly. Yet you have done neither. So how are you able to Shout?"

One of the others whispered something, shaking the air, and Arngeir nodded. "Perhaps it wasn't truly a Shout, Master Einarth suggests. So would you mind demonstrating?"

"As you wish, Master Arngeir." Shanti looked around. "What should I use as a target?"

"The others will each create a target for you. Strike them as they appear."

"Yes, Master." Shanti waited for the first one, then Shouted. "Fus!" and the target vanished.

"On the next, use 'Fus Ro,'" Arngeir instructed.

She nodded, and the second target appeared. "Fus ... Ro!" The target again vanished, but Master Borri, who had created it, staggered back against the wall.

"All three words for the final test," Arngeir said.

Shanti hesitated at that. "I don't want to hurt the one who provides the target," she objected.

Arngeir smiled. "Your caution is wise, Dragonborn, but we practice on each other regularly. He won't be hurt."

Shanti shrugged. "If you're sure." When the third target appeared, she did as she'd been told, and Einarth was thrown back as Borri had been, but harder. When he stood back up, though, he was grinning and obviously unhurt.

"You are Dragonborn, indeed," Arngeir said. "One final test, if you would, outside."

She followed him into the rear courtyard, then waited for him to speak again. "You've proven that you can learn Words of Power from a Word Wall, or from having them used on you. But what if you are simply told it's a Word of Power? Such as 'Wuld'?"

"Whirlwind? I understand the word as a word, but it doesn't 'speak' to me like the ... other three. I have no idea what it's used for as a Rotmulaag."

"Hi tinvaak Dovahzul?" Arngeir looked disbelieving.

"Geh, ruzun zu'u lost hen uv sok. Dov kusah zey rinik pogaas."

Arngeir laughed. "They have interested you since you were five or six, and you speak Dovahzul. That could be the explanation. Let Master Wulfgar demonstrate Whirlwind Sprint, and we will see what happens."

She watched as Master Wulfgar sped through a briefly-opened gate, then returned at a walk.

"Do you comprehend it now?" Arngeir asked. "Shouting, as you must have learned, is as natural to a dovah as breathing or speaking, and you clearly have the dovahsos ahrk dovahsil."

Shanti considered briefly, then nodded. "I think so. May I try?"

"Certainly." Arngeir signaled to Borri, at the gate. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." When the gate opened, she Shouted, "Wuld!" She made it through, but had to throw herself to one side before she went over the edge of the plateau that held the monastery. She rose and brushed herself off, then returned to Arngeir, who was looking bemused.

"So you can gather the deep meaning of a Rotmulaag from a Word Wall, from having it used on you, or from seeing it demonstrated by someone who already knows the deep meaning. Or, of course, from absorbing a dragon's life force and knowledge - his soul."

"And that brings up a problem," Shanti said. "May we go inside to continue this?"

"Certainly," Arngeir agreed.

Once all four were settled at a table with glasses of ale, Arngeir asked, "What problem is that, Dragonborn?"

I don't know quite how to ask this, but what actually happens to the soul of a dovah absorbed by another dovah - or a Dovahkiin? Souls are eternal, and those of vodov go to Aetherius or Oblivion on their body's death, but what of dovahsille?"

Arngeir looked thoughtful. "I don't believe we have any records of Dovahkiin reports on that." He looked at the others, getting headshakes. "Sorry, that means we simply don't know. Why do you ask?"

"They can answer for themselves, can't they?" Shanti was temporarily distracted.

Arngeir shook his head. "They haven't learned to contain their power enough to speak without harming others, except me. Although as Dovahkiin ... Borri, say something. As quietly as you can, please."

"Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin," Borri murmured softly.

"Drem yol lok, In Borri," Shanti replied. "More, please?"

"Fus?" he said, hesitantly.

Shanti smiled, then turned to Arngeir. "I am unharmed, you see? So may they speak?"

"I see no reason, since you aren't harmed. Now please, go on."

"Because since I am Dovahkiin, if or when I kill a dovah, I am killing fron, my kin, and that is both a crime and a sin. If absorbing its soul destroys that soul, it's far worse."

"Hmm, I see the problem," Arngeir said. "We do have one final task for you before we declare you Dovahkiin publicly, so while you're gone on that mission, we'll fine-comb our records. It's about all we can do, so I hope it's sufficient. At least until your Voice is strong enough for you to get past his protective mists and visit our Grandmaster."

"I suppose it'll have to be," Shanti said. It wasn't satisfactory, but it seemed to be the best she was going to get, until she could visit their Grandmaster - who almost had to be Paarthurnax. The _Atlas of Dragons_ said he was known to lair on the Throat of the World, under the protection of the Greybeards, but she decided not to mention that. Instead, she asked, "What's this final task?"

"Go to Ustengrav, and bring us the horn of our founder, Jurgen Windcaller. It has been there since his death, but of late, we have some apprehensions about its safety. We wish to have it here, instead of where some bandit might take and desecrate it."

* * *

Author's Note: Maybe sixty years ago, when my family was vacationing in Baguio, in the Philippines, I rode a rented palomino pony named Golden Rainbow. He was quite nice, and the name has stayed with me ever since. This is a tribute to him.


	5. Solitude

.

Chapter 5 - Solitude

Shanti pulled Golden Rainbow to a halt at Katla's farm and dismounted, then led him to the stables and handed the reins to the stable-master. "Full room and board till I pick him up, please, Geimund. I'll be at Tribune S'Jherek Bushy-Tail's quarters in Castle Dour if you need to contact me."

"No problem, Shanti," Geimund said, straightening with a grin. "Get home with you - that note you sent has 'em confused."

"That's where I'm going - I just needed to get Golden Rainbow settled in, first. He's a good horse, so if you have a couple of spare apples ... "

"How about some sweet-feed, on the house? Since he's a new boarder, after all."

Shanti chuckled. "That would be wonderful - thanks! Though I'm not too sure how long we'll be here this time."

"Not a problem. Now go see your ma an' da."

"On my way."

Shanti was greeted by the gate guards and those at Castle Dour as she made her way to the Castle's Married Officer Quarters. This time of day, probably neither of her parents would be home, but she had a key, and Darius, her father's housecarl, was likely to be home, anyway, unless he was out for the day's shopping.

She found the apartment empty, but there was hot water in the pot on the stove shelf, and broth simmering in the soup cauldron, so she made herself a cup of dragontongue tisane, then went to her room to strip off her armor and get into a house-robe.

Not long after she finished and had gone back to the kitchen, Darius came back with his purchases. He put them down, grinning, and extended his arms. "Shanti! You're back!"

She hugged him, then grinned. "Yeah. I hope Mums and Dad weren't too worried ... I told them I'd be fine."

"Well, a little, but you know parents. Want me to let them know you're home and safe?"

"Sure, that might be a good idea. But not till you've told me what's for supper, so I can work on it while you're away."

"Venison potage, page 85 in the Gourmet's cookbook. OK, I'll be back in a bit."

Shanti cut vegetables, diced venison, and added spices according to the recipe, until she heard the front door slam open, and her mother yelling, "Shanti!"

"In the kitchen, Mums, and I'm fine!"

Moments later, Ko'Adanji entered the kitchen, and hugged her daughter. "Now tell me all about it, dear. That letter didn't really say much."

Shanti returned the hug, licking her mother's cheek. "Not till Dad gets back. It's kind of long, and I don't want to have to repeat myself. Okay?"

"All right, dear. But come into the living room, and let Darius take over. He's a much better cook than you are."

Shanti couldn't argue that; her cooking skills were more campfire than gourmet. She followed her mother into the living room, and snuggled into her favorite chair.

"Are you all right, dear?" Ko'Adanji asked.

"Good enough, for now," Shanti replied. "When Dad gets back, I'll tell you both the whole story."

* * *

"So now I have to go to Ustengrav and retrieve the Horn," Shanti concluded. "Then the Greybeards will make it official, and ... well, I don't know, after that."

Her parents had let her tell her story without interruption, though her father had looked like he wanted to, several times. He was silent for several seconds after she finished, then he said, "Shanti, love, something this big can't be kept secret. If you're really Dragonborn, that makes you one of the most important and valuable people in the Empire. I'm going to have to tell the General, and I'm pretty sure he's going to assign you a bodyguard. You can't just go running around Skyrim like an ordinary adventurer."

"Can't it wait till I'm formally acknowledged, Dad?" Shanti begged. "As long as it's a secret, I'm in no more danger, and no more noticeable, than anyone else. Once the Greybeards make it official, well ... I won't have a lot of choice, then. But for now ... please?"

"She has a point, you know," Ko'Adanji said. "By herself, or with one or two companions, she's nothing special." She purred briefly. "Well, of course she is to us, but nobody will know _except_ us. If she suddenly starts walking around with a full bodyguard, that could be like painting a target on her back."

S'Jherek sighed. "You both make sense, but I still have to tell General Tullius. I'll point out what you said, and he may agree, but I'm pretty sure he's not going to let you wander through a barrow alone. And I need to let him know right away." He rose, looking at his daughter sympathetically. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Shanti watched him leave, then turned to her mother. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you until after, but I was afraid you'd be worried if I stayed away too long."

"You're right, we would have." Ko'Adanji sighed. "You know, I'm not going to be able to sing 'The Dragonborn Comes' or 'The Song of the Dragonborn' the same way, any more. Not when I know it's my daughter I'm singing about. Maybe I'll just retire both of them from my repertoire."

"Please, don't do that - you do them too well!" Shanti grinned. "Once I'm acknowledged, I'm going to be hearing them a lot, I'm afraid, and by singers a lot less talented than you are. Remembering yours will make it less painful."

Ko'Adanji chuckled shakily. "All right, dear. I must say, you're taking this a lot better than your father and I are."

Shanti shrugged. "I had it sprung on me a lot less abruptly. The Word Wall, the talk with Jarl Balgruuf and Master Farengar, the trip to High Hrothgar, and talking to Master Arngeir ... I'm eager to strengthen my Voice enough that I'll be able to get up to the summit of Monahven and actually meet Paarthurnax . I can hardly wait!"

"You'll forgive me for being less than enthusiastic," Ko'Adanji said drily. "The songs say the Dragonborn will be victorious over the World-Eater, but the Prophecy of the Dragonborn doesn't say anything like that. I'm not happy to know you're going to be facing dragons, especially one so powerful he was thought of as a god."

"Mums, please don't fret. I won't be going up against him until I'm a lot stronger - " At least she hoped so. "I need to improve my combat and magical skills, and I definitely need to learn some new Shouts, since that's how dragons usually fight. I only know one, all the way, and a single word of a second."

"So you're going to become an adventurer? That isn't much better."

"I was going to join the Legion, like Dad, but that won't let me go exploring for the Words of Power I need, so yes, I guess being an adventurer it'll have to be. And I have to set up a household this year, too - regulations say no children over 18 in married Legion quarters. I've been saving up, and I'm pretty sure I can afford at least a small place, but I need permission from a Jarl to establish a residence in one's Hold."

"Hmm." Ko'Adanji looked thoughtful. "What about Jarl Balgruuf? He knows you're Dragonborn, and I can't imagine any Jarl refusing residence permission to the Dragonborn."

"If I have to, I'll ask," Shanti said. "I don't want to abuse my position - what are you snickering about?"

"Shanti, Shanti, Shanti ... think, darling. Once you're acknowledged by the Greybeards, they'll all know, and every last one of them - at least in the Imperial-leaning Holds - will be falling over themselves to court you. If you like Balgruuf, give him the first chance. I'm sure he'd jump at it."

Shanti thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll have to spend a night in Whiterun on the way from Ustengrav to Ivarstead, so I can talk to him then."

Her father returned not long afterward, while the two women were chatting about family and friend matters, and Shanti turned to smile at him. "What word, Dad?

"General Tullius wants to see you. He says he needs more proof than my word of your word, and I can't really say I blame him. It _is_ pretty fantastic." He hesitated. "You do have a way to prove it, don't you?"

Shanti frowned. "Yes. I can use Unrelenting Force indoors, and I think I can tame it down enough I won't do too much damage."

"Let's go, then. He's pretty impatient."

"Divines protect me from an impatient General Tullius!" Shanti exclaimed, grinning. She rose and followed her father to the General's war-room, then upstairs to his quarters, and bowed to the General. "You wanted to see me, sir."

"Yes. Your father has been telling me a tale about you being the embodiment of the Nord legend abouts the Dragonborn."

"I'm afraid it's true, sir. You know about the Voice - the Thu'um?"

"Rikke's told me about it, yes. And it's said that's how that damn Ulfric Stormcloak killed King Torygg. Takes years to learn, unless you're Dragonborn. Then all you have to do is kill a dragon." He frowned at her. "I know you haven't spent years at High Hrothgar, and you're not claiming you killed a dragon. So how can you Shout?"

He didn't seem to be disapproving, just curious, but Shanti quailed under his stern gaze anyway. "Ah ... the Greybeards seem to think it's because I've studied the dovah and their language for so long?"

"Calm down, girl - I'm not angry with you. You're a good Junior, and if you decide to join the regular Legion, you'll be commissioned a Quaestor. But great claims demand great proofs. I'd like you to Shout for me."

"Yes, sir. If you have something you don't mind having broken, that is. The only Shout I know yet that can be used indoors ... uh, throws things. Or people." Commissioned a Quaestor on joining the regulars? Shanti's ear-tips warmed with pleased embarrassment at that prospect. That would be quite an honor!

Tullius laughed, and pointed at a vase with decorations that hurt her eyes, they were such ugly colors. "If you can shatter that, without destroying the wall behind it, you'd be doing me a favor."

"Not difficult," Shanti said. She knew somehow that she could control the level of her Thu'um very precisely, as a matter of intent, so she Shouted, very quietly. "Fus!"

The vase shattered as General Tullius had wished, and he turned to her with a grin. "Thank you, Dragonborn. That damn eyesore was a gift, so I couldn't just throw it away. But it made a perfect demonstration."

He sobered. "Now that your status is established, your father says you want it kept secret as long as possible, but you know I can't just let you wander around, given how much you mean to the entirety of Mundus, and perhaps the Aurbis itself. What is the maximum protection you'll accept?"

Shanti thought for a bit. Most of the Word Walls mentioned in what fragments remained from the long years of the dragons' rule were either in barrows or on mountaintops so ... "Three maximum, preferably two, or we're likely to get in each other's way. If one is a battlemage, that would be nice. And not types who simply rush into battle. The Companion Jarl Balgruuf hired to accompany me into Bleak Falls Barrow was nice, and of course an excellent warrior, but he did tend to get ahead of me so my spellcasting was limited."

"I can arrange that," Tullius said, sounding amused. "One battlemage, one scout specialist. When do you plan to leave?"

"First thing in the morning, I hope. If you permit."

"I do. And ... "

"Yes, sir?"

"You know of the regular, Junior, and Shadow Legions. All have their roles to play, as does the Penitus Oculatus. And I know you intended to join the regulars. But the Dragonborn, unlike Shanti of Solitude, doesn't fit in any of them, if I'm to believe what Rikke tells me. You're going to be too well-known for undercover work, too. Hmm."

The General thought for several moments, then nodded in apparent satisfaction. "Even though you won't fit in the regular chain of command, would you be willing to take on some special missions for me, as your Dragonborn responsibilities allow?"

"Of course, sir." Shanti felt a bit offended that he thought he had to ask.

"Good. Then I'll swear you in as a specialist, reporting only to me or to Legate Rikke. And for protocol and pay purposes, as Dragonborn you should have the highest rank I can give you. The only other Dragonborns I'm aware of were sovereigns, but obviously, that's not up to me. Are you willing to take the standard Legion oath to the Emperor?"

This time, Shanti couldn't hide her indignation. "Of course I am! Sir."

He chuckled at that. "Well then. Repeat after me:"

"Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the Emperor, Titus Mede II..."

Line by line, Shanti repeated the oath.

"...and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great Empire."

"May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!"

"Welcome to the Legion, Specialist-Legate Shanti Dragonborn." Tullius smiled. "As I said, you'll take orders only from me and Legate Rikke. On the other hand, you're out of the chain of command as far as giving them, too. The only ones you'll command will be those specifically assigned to you, either permanently or for a specific mission."

That sounded reasonable, so Shanti nodded. "Yes, sir. Um, do I get to wear the uniform?"

Tullius looked startled, then chuckled. "Of course. Seeing the Dragonborn in Legion gear will be excellent for morale. See Beirand to get measured for your armor - I don't think he has anything in stock in your size."

"Probably not, sir," Shanti agreed. "If Father and I may be excused?"

"Certainly. I'll find a battlemage and scout for you and have them waiting in the courtyard right after breakfast."

"I think they should be in civilian gear, sir, " S'Jherek said. "To return the Horn, they'll have to stop in Whiterun, and there's no point rubbing Jarl Balgruuf the wrong way when it's easy to avoid."

"Good idea, Tribune. It will be so."

* * *

The next morning, Shanti - in armor, and armed - went down to the courtyard to meet her ... how should she think of them? Not guards ... maybe escort. She didn't know either of them, but the Altmer had to be the battlemage, the Nord the scout. Their expressions showed that the General had let them in on what was still officially a secret.

"I am Shanti," she said. "You are?"

"I'm Voranil, Battlemage Captain," the Altmer said. "It's an honor to serve with you, Lady Shanti."

"And I'm Bjorn, a sergeant in the scouts," the Nord said, "We're going to Ustengrav, the General said."

"Correct," Shanti said. "I am to retrieve an object there, and take it to the Greybeards at High Hrothgar. The best way seems to be a carriage to Morthal, then by foot to Ustengrav. Unfortunately, that means wading the marshes, but it's much the fastest way."

"You're in charge, my Lady," Voranil said. "Let's get going, if you're ready."

They walked down to Katla's Farm, where the stables were. Shanti took time to feed her horse an apple, then the trio took Thaer's carriage to Morthal.

It was a four-hour trip, so they spent it discussing fighting styles and possible tactics against bandits and draugr. Skeletons were weak enough to cause no worry, and according to Bjorn, he was good at disarming traps, so Shanti foresaw no particular problems. At least neither of them had Alaric's impulsiveness, and were willing to let her take the lead, so her magic and "other abilities" could be used without her harming them. Since both were taller than she, she'd be no obstacle to Voranil's spells, and probably not to Bjorn's bow.

They had lunch at the Moorside Inn, then set out for Ustengrav, none of them happy about the swamps, but since it was unavoidable, not complaining more than occasionally. Instead, Bjorn asked her, "What's it feel like, being Dragonborn?"

"Normal, of course," Shanti replied. "I've never not been Dovahkiin, you know. It's only that I just found out about it recently. So I could just as much ask you how it feels not to be."

Bjorn and Voranil both chuckled at that. "True," the Altmer said. "Can you really steal a dragon's power?"

"The Greybeards tell me I can, but I haven't done it. Not yet, at least, and I'm not looking forward to the first time."

"Why not?" Bjorn asked. "If I were Dragonborn, I'd be eager to fight and kill a dragon!"

"Even knowing he's your brother or she's your sister? That you'd be a kinslayer? Stealing his soul so he ... simply ceased to exist?" If that was what happened; she simply didn't know. But she had to be prepared for the worst that could happen, and that was it.

"Um." Bjorn gulped. "I ... hadn't thought about it like that. Maybe not, then. But even kinslaying's allowable in self-defense, or defending others." He paused. "I'm not so sure about the soul-stealing, though. But if Akatosh gave you the ability, He must mean for you to use it."

"Against Alduin, certainly. But against the rest? I'm not too happy about that, even though you're right about the defense aspect, of course." She sighed. "Could we change the subject, please? Voranil, do you specialize in any particular School of magic?"

He laughed. "The gray robe doesn't tell you? I'm a generalist. I use Destruction and Restoration primarily, being a battlemage, but I'm also skilled in Illusion, and not bad at Conjuration. Alteration, except for the various types of mage armor, and Enchanting I leave to others."

"Well, yes, I know what gray usually means, and the purple trim that shows you're Expert-level, but since you're Shadow Legion, I wasn't sure it meant the same thing. Though you're in civilian clothes for this ... don't mind me. Things are ... a bit unsettled for me, and have been since 'Fus' came into me in Bleak Falls Barrow."

"I think we can understand that," Voranil replied. "Divines, you're not even eighteen ... of course you'd be upset."

"Barely seventeen," Shanti admitted. "My name-day was the third of this month."

"Been a busy birth-month for you, then. Finding out you're - "

"Hush," Shanti said, then lowered her voice. "I hear voices ... there's someone there ahead of us."

All three went into stealth mode, approaching the Nordic ruin until she held up one hand, and they came to a halt.


	6. Ustengrav

.

Chapter 6 - Ustengrav

The voices seemed to be a couple of bandits talking, but Shanti heard someone else approaching them. Then there was the crackle of a spell being cast, and a scream of pain. Shanti charged flames in her left hand, drawing her sword with her right. Voranil beat her to casting, sending a familiar in the direction of the noise - had he managed to conjure a saber-cat, or was she seeing things?

It didn't matter, as she heard another scream that died to a gurgle then vanished. The three moved closer to the ruin, finding a single living bandit that Bjorn sneaked up behind and knifed. Closer to Ustengrav's entrance, they found three more bandits and a necromancer - at least her robe had the characteristic skull - all dead. They looted the small items, which they'd split later, then made their way to the entrance.

When they entered, they found more dead bandits, and there was the sound of combat ahead of them. As quietly as they could, they moved forward, to find a battle between magic-users and bandits going on. Shanti grinned, and they waited patiently until the battle was over and the mages dead.

Then they continued, following the remaining bandits cautiously, looking for any valuables as they went. Once past the entry area, they found a flight of stairs with a dead bandit and draugr. They descended, Shanti in the lead.

She had barely gotten to the bottom when Bjorn put a hand on her arm to stop her, and pointed to her right. Once he had her attention, he moved to the spellcaster trap's side, then grabbed the soul gem that powered it, handing it to her with a grin. She returned the grin, having seen a couple of bodies a few feet away who hadn't seen the trap. The bandits they'd been following, perhaps? They kept going then, encountering only a few draugr and a couple of mages. Shanti was pretty sure she could have made it through this first part by herself, but she couldn't deny it was nice to have backing.

Stairs led to a balcony with a bridge to a tunnel, which took them to a door. She opened it cautiously, then looked around before entering. There was a winding stairway, then they got to another flat area. "Watch out for pressure plates," Bjorn cautioned the others. "They almost always trigger traps, and from the looks of the floor, this one's most likely fire."

"Right." Shanti moved carefully, avoiding the plates, then fired flames at a skeleton while Bjorn engaged a couple of draugr, and Voranil conjured his saber-cat familiar in the face of another. When the fight was over, they stood at the top of a hill overlooking a huge valley with trees, a river, and ... a Word Wall. "Wow, I've never seen anything like this! This place could hold a village, just down in that valley - maybe a city, in the whole thing."

"Places like this have been used as refuges before, and they will be again," Voranil said. "But not too many people want to live underground the whole time, at least not since the Dwemer vanished."

"I can understand that," Shanti said. "I wouldn't want to, either. But we need to find a way down to that Word Wall. I think ..." she looked around, and found what looked like a relatively easy route. It took them down gradually, around behind the Word Wall, when she started hearing the chanting. "Do either of you hear anything?"

Both answered in the negative, and Bjorn asked, "What is it?"

"The Word Wall, reacting to me being ... within a certain distance, I think. It's a chant, but with no real words. When we get in front, tell me if you see a glow."

They crossed a stream, then came around in front of the Wall. To her eyes, it was glowing, particularly one of the Words, but the others denied seeing that - until she moved closer to the most brightly glowing Word, and its glow lifted off the Wall and moved into her.

That got exclamations from both, and when she turned to them, Voranil demanded, "What was _that_?"

"One of the ways I learn a Word of Power, a Rotmulaag," she replied. "In this case 'Feim', which means Fade."

"What does it do?" Bjorn asked.

Shanti thought for a moment, tapping into the deeper meaning of the Word, and grinned. "It's a defensive shout - lets me become immaterial for a short time. Shall we try it?"

Voranil nodded. "We do need to know what you can do."

"All right. Feim!"

"Well, you don't _look_ any different," Voranil commented. He held out his hand. "Try to touch my hand."

Shanti did, and her hand passed right through his. "Oh!"

Bjorn extended his sword. "One more test, please? I'll stop if I feel any resistance."

Shanti wasn't too happy about what he seemed to be suggesting, but she nodded. He raised his blade to her throat, moving it slowly forward. She felt nothing, even as the sword was halfway through. "Could you pull it back out, please? It's making me ... a little queasy."

He did as she asked, then said, "But you didn't feel anything?"

"No. But knowing a sword's going through my throat ... " She shuddered. "I can see several other ways it could be useful, as well."

"Good defensively," Bjorn said. "You probably can't do any damage while it's in effect, though."

"What's next?" Voranil asked. "We can see how long it takes to wear off while we're doing that."

"We try to find the Horn," Shanti said. "Hopefully, there'll be a shortcut to wherever it is, but when we were above, I only saw the one route down here, so we'll probably have to backtrack." She cast Clairvoyance, and that was confirmed. So back around the Word Wall, and up the path, but when they got to the top, her spell guided them left, rather than right.

The only opposition they found was a single draugr, which Bjorn killed. Then they found a trio of red-glowing stones, which stalled them. "What are these?"

Neither of the others had any ideas, so Shanti walked around them, one by one. Each seemed to open one of the three barred gates ahead of them, but only briefly; after a few seconds, the opened one fell again.

"Hmm." Voranil said. "I wonder ... " He went to stand by the stone that raised the first gate. It rose, and stayed up. "Bjorn, try number two."

The Nord scout took his place, and the second gate rose, as well. Shanti went to the third stone, and when the final gate rose, she Shouted. "Wuld!" She got through, and the other two left the stones they were standing at. All of the gates remained open, so they were able to rejoin her.

"We didn't know you could do that," Voranil said, a bit reprovingly. "Do you have any other Shouts we don't know about?"

"I only know those two, and only one Word of each. The only other one is Unrelenting Force, with all three words - I demonstrated the weakest form of that to General Tullius. I don't know if he mentioned it to you, or not."

"He did," Voranil said. "Not that I think breaking a vase is very impressive. I'd like to see a demonstration, if you don't mind."

"As soon as I have a target," Shanti promised. "I'm not going to use it against either of you; that's the one that killed High King Torygg, and Jarl Ulfric isn't even Dragonborn. I'm not bragging, but my Thu'um is stronger than his, even with as little practice as I've had with it."

"All right. General Tullius let us see your Junior Legion records, so we know your weapon and spell skills, and your education. Is there anything else about you that we should know?"

Shanti frowned. "I don't understand. "It sounds like you know everything worth knowing about me already."

Voranil's reply seemed totally unrelated. "Do you know why General Tullius is allowing you to wander around Skyrim, even with two bodyguards, when he knows how important you are and he's concerned for your safety?"

"I'm a bit surprised, but my mother suggested I'd be safer with only one or two companions, rather than a full bodyguard. I suppose being allowed out is because I have things I have to do as Dovahkiin."

"That's part of it, but you're also safer away from Solitude. You do know who has headquarters above General Tullius'."

Shanti gulped. "The Thalmor. He can't think - "

"Wrong. He can and does." Voranil sighed. "This isn't exactly the ideal place for this, but at least it's secure. We lost the first Great War, but anyone who pays attention knows there's a second one coming. When, we can't guess, but the General's pretty sure the Thalmor have their meddling fingers in this whole civil war mess. You're a new, unpredictable, and very important, player. The Thalmor are bound to try to subvert you, or if that fails, kill you. In Solitude, you'd be an easy target. Out in the Skyrim countryside, especially moving around, you're far less so."

"Um. Then maybe there _is_ one more thing you need to know," Shanti said. "I worship all of the Nine."

"Yes!" Bjorn exclaimed happily. "Talos was Dragonborn, you know. So it's only proper."

"Geh. Dovahkiin, and he was overlord to a few dovah himself, though he was unable to protect them as he tried to do. Nafaalilargus was one of his generals, if history is correct." Which gave her hope for something she didn't dare elaborate even to herself, just yet.

"So the Thalmor are your enemies, either way." Voranil grinned. "Fortunately, Bjorn and I worship the Nine as well. I think that's all we need, then, except for a demonstration of Unrelenting Force."

"That should be soon," Shanti said. "I smell acid, which in such conditions, probably means frostbite spiders."

"And the floor ahead looks like another fire trap with semi-random pressure plates," Bjorn said. "I figured out which ones are triggers, at least if the last one's pattern holds. So should we go ahead, and you use Voice to join us, or what?"

"Why are you asking me?" Shanti was honestly curious. "Voranil's been giving the orders."

"Because we've been placed under your command for an indefinite time, Specialist-Legate," Voranil replied. "I've taken command up till now because I knew more than you did. We're into your area of expertise now, so you take over."

Shanti slipped into the NCO and officer training all Junior Legion members got. "In that case, Bjorn first to choose the path, you next, then when you encounter the spider, I'll use ... hmm. Wuld to join you."

So they did it that way, and when the acid smell got suddenly stronger, she Shouted "Wuld"! and arrived on a higher platform to find Bjorn and Voranil engaging a giant spider. She Shouted again, "Fus ... Ro DAH!" as soon as she got to an angle where she wouldn't hurt her bodyguards.

That threw the spider back against a wall, killing it, and both of them grinned at her as Bjorn sheathed his sword. "Pretty impressive, Dragonborn," he said.

"Thank you." Shanti hesitated. "Would you mind using Dovahkiin, though, if you prefer not to address me by my Khajiit name? I prefer Dovahzul to Common, though I'll respond to either."

"Of course, if that's what you prefer," Voranil said.

"It's not all that important," Shanti said. "A preference, no more. But ... " she cast Clairvoyance, which pointed them to a web-clogged door. Shanti cast flames at it, and when the webs burned off, they went through. There were a couple of the smaller spiders, which proved to be no problem, then another door - and a larger chamber, where stylized dragon heads rose from water on both sides of a stone pathway to what looked like a very large tomb.

She paused, looking around. To the Greybeards, this was a very holy place, but she herself felt nothing of that; it was simply the tomb of a great leader.

She led the way toward the tomb, and looked up at it. There was an inscription in what she recognized as the Daedric script, but she couldn't read it. Otherwise, atop the tomb, a hand held a horn, and something else.

It felt like desecration, but she was confident the Greybeards wouldn't guide her wrongly, so she got Bjorn to boost her up so she could reach the Horn, and found a note beneath it. When she got back to the ground, she stowed the Horn in her pack, and read the note.

"Dragonborn-

"I need to speak to you. Urgently.

"Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you.

"-A friend"

There was a shimmer, and she felt briefly dizzy before she found herself looking at a tall Nord man - translucent, so a ghost - with dark hair and beard, wearing blue robes. He looked down, smiling at her. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin. Zu'u Jorgen."

Shanti bowed, awed. "Drem yol lok, Jurgen. Zu'u Shanti."

"Be welcome in my tomb, Shanti, and feel free to take the rewards I bring here for the dragon-souled who follow the Greybeards' ... recommendations. Since I died, they have sent all the dragon-souled here to meet me, though they tell them other reasons." He tilted his head, smiling slightly. "Which one did they give you?"

"Master Arngeir said they feared your Horn would be stolen. And I did find that note under it ... " Shanti's voice trailed off. "So ... why?"

"Because you are soul-dovah, not mere blood-dovah." The ghost smiled. "I was ... not Dovahkiin myself, you know, just a Tongue. All but one Dovahkiin came after my time, and I only recently found out about him. But I am deeply interested in how the Voice is used, and how soul-dovah feel about their kin."

Yes, that would be natural for the first Greybeard, Shanti had to admit. "How I feel, Master Jurgen, is fascinated. I can hardly wait to meet and talk with one."

"And how do you plan to use your Thu'um, young Dovahkiin?"

"As little as possible, at least until I learn what I'm doing. So far, I've used 'Fus' to defend myself, the full Shout as a demonstration the Greybeards requested, 'Wuld' the same, and 'Feim' to find out what it did. Oh, and 'Fus' again to prove my identity to General Tullius."

"That wasn't what I asked, since I already knew, but it's good to find you are conscientious about being complete." The ghost smiled again. "All have been acceptable, if not neikux cessarily praiseworthy, uses. But your plans, once you do have the knowledge you want?"

"Um." Shanti hesitated, swallowing. "Self-defense, and defense of others, of course. Maybe a few more demonstrations, if I have to - and knowing the Nords, I probably will. I know you say it's to be used for worship, but In - Master - Arngeir said that as Dragonborn, I'm an exception to all the rules. And I don't even know how to use it for worship!"

The ghost chuckled. "That isn't the easiest use of Voice, for a Dovahkiin, but when you're ready, In Arngeir will be most happy to teach you." Then it became almost solid, and Jurgen Windcaller smiled. "You've passed the test, Legate Shanti Dovahkiin. Take my horn to the Greybeards so they know to announce you. And take, also, what you'll find in the 'back entrance' behind my tomb. Hin kogaan, Dovahkiin, zu'u draal."

Shanti gulped, then took a deep breath and raised her hand as a priest or priestess would. "Zu'u ofan hi dii kogaan, In Jurgen Windcaller."

The ghost smiled again, then vanished.

"What was that all about?" Voranil asked. "We saw the ghost, but - ?"

"Apparently the test was meeting him, and maybe telling him, at least indirectly, that I didn't plan to use the Thu'um for personal power ... I'm not sure of that last part, but it makes sense. Then, right at the end, he asked for my blessing, and I gave it."

"Right out of the song," Bjorn said. "'Dragonborn, for your blessings we pray.' Whoof!"

"Um, don't mention that, please. It's scary." Shanti shivered, then brought herself under control, and re-read the note she'd found under the horn. "Let me try to get back on track, all right? He ... wasn't anything I was expecting. Back to Riverwood, then.

"As far as I could tell, the Sleeping Giant doesn't have an attic, much less an attic room for rent. But we have to pass through there on the way from Whiterun to Ivarstead, so I see no harm in a stop."

"So check out the rest of the place for loot, like he mentioned about the back entrance, then head back to Morthal?" Bjorn asked.

"That sounds reasonable. I don't care to set out for Whiterun, after this, without a bath and a decent night's sleep."

What they found on the back way out of Ustengrav had Shanti and her bodyguards very pleased, even after splitting it three ways. With this addition to her savings, she could definitely afford a small or even medium-sized house, and at least some furnishings. Of course, since they were assigned to her indefinitely, she'd have to provide for them as well, but perhaps she could get a Legion housing allowance for them for that, since it was by General Tullius' order.

When they left through the "back door", they were back in the marsh, and Shanti growled, but otherwise kept her displeasure hidden.

They made their way back to the hold capital, a city by courtesy, though Shanti couldn't think of it as more than a tiny village.


	7. Morthal

.

Chapter 7 - Morthal

It was late afternoon when they reached solid ground and began making better progress, and dusk when they approached the Moorside Inn.

Just before they headed up the stairs to the entrance, Shanti caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see a dark-clad figure hurl what looked from there like a thick, lit candle through the door of the house at the end of the walkway. There was a sound of something breaking, then a flare of fire, and she dropped her pack, sprinting to the house. Screams came from the door, and she plunged in, starting to cough almost immediately from the oily smoke.

"Help - my Helgi - please!" a woman called, barely able to get the words out through her coughing as she clung to the edge of the door.

Shanti was closest, so she shoved past the woman and dropped to the floor to get beneath the smoke, hearing the other two pounding up the house's stairs behind her. "Helgi - Helgi, where are you? Get on the floor, now!"

She heard a child coughing, then a scrabbling on the floor to her left, and moved toward it. "I'm coming, Helgi. Pat around on the floor until you feel my hand, and keep making sounds."

More coughing answered her, then she felt a small hand patting her gauntlet. She took the hand and guided it to her ankle. "Crawl behind me."

"Uh-huh."

But that only worked for a few seconds, as flaming oil spread toward them. Shanti surged to her feet, then reached down to snatch the child, trying to keep her elven-armored self between the child and the fire, making her way toward where she remembered the door was.

As she groped her way toward it through the smoke, a crying Helgi clinging to her breastplate, a strong hand seized her wrist and pulled her through the door. Seconds later, the roof collapsed behind her, and the flame roared higher, fed by roof thatch. Only major efforts by the town guard and citizens throwing water on nearby buildings kept the flames from spreading.

Not long afterward, she was in an inn room with the child, rooting through her pack for healing potions and trying to calm Helgi. After she fed the girl a healing potion, followed by a sleeping potion, she went to the inn's main room. "Did anyone find the child's parents?"

"Her mother's in the room next to yours," Voranil said. "I gave her a couple of potions - I think she'll be all right by morning."

Bjorn pointed to a man slumped over a table, snoring. "That's the father. Too drunk to notice his house going up in flames. Bastard."

Shanti sighed. "At least we were able to rescue the woman and child. And thank you for hauling me and Helgi out of there."

"I just wish we'd gotten a better look at the arsonist," Voranil said. "I think it was a woman - moved like one, at least. But why? Did you catch a scent?"

Shanti shook her head. "At least not enough to identify whoever it was - the smoke was too strong to smell much beyond burning wood and oil."

Voranil sighed. "I wonder why anyone would do such a thing."

No one could think of any reason, but they agreed it might be wise to keep watch just in case the arsonist tried anything else. Shanti volunteered for the first watch, since she wanted to study the Candlelight spell book she'd found in one of the Ustengrav treasure chests. Her ability to see in dim light was nice, but there were plenty of times brighter light would be more helpful.

The first couple of hours after the rest went to bed were quiet, and she studied the tome eagerly. Candlelight was one of the simplest spells in the Alteration School, and very useful if you needed to read something or were looking for small objects. When she was certain she had it learned well enough to use, she returned the tome to her pack. She could decide later whether to sell it or keep it for the library she planned to start as soon as she had a residence of her own.

She was thinking about having a half-glass of mead before waking Bjorn for his shift, when she heard sounds from the room where Helgi's mother was. She moved to the room's door quietly, and opened it slowly, peering inside. When she saw someone bending over the woman, she flung it wide instead, drawing her sword. "What are you doing?"

The other straightened, turning to her with a snarl, fangs showing, then sprinted toward her.

"Vampire!" Shanti yelled, swinging her weapon at the vampire. Unfortunately, the vampire dodged the blow by ducking, then sprinting past her, knocking her to the floor. By the time she was able to get to her feet, Voranil and Bjorn were out of their room, Bjorn with sword in hand, and Voranil with a destruction spell charged.

"Where?" the Altmer snapped.

Shanti pointed to the open inn door, casting Clairvoyance as she did. All three followed the spell's light, Bjorn in the lead. It took time, but eventually the spell led them to a cave entrance with blood and body parts nearby, and Voranil called a halt. "Back to the inn for now. I'm not about to go into a vampire den at night, when they're at their strongest."

Shanti didn't like breaking off a hunt, but she knew he was right, and didn't argue. "Take on a vampire at night?" she said. "No, thanks. Besides, we need to check and make sure the vampire didn't bite Hilde."

Back in the warm and now fully awakened inn. Bjorn and Voranil went to their room to dress, while Shanti went to Hilde. "Are you all right?" She didn't see any bite marks, but ...

"I feel like I've had one mead too many, but otherwise, I'm fine. What happened?"

"I was on watch, heard noises from your room, and went in to see someone standing over you. It turned out to be a vampire." That caught everyone's attention, and Shanti continued the story, finishing, "We traced it to its lair, and we'll notify the Jarl in the morning."

Bjorn and Voranil emerged from their room, and Voranil asked, "Did anyone recognize who it used to be?"

"Laelette, Thonnir's wife," Jonna, the innkeeper, replied. "He said she'd mentioned going to join the Stormcloaks, but it's pretty obvious now that wasn't the case. You'll have to talk to him if you want to find out anything more, I'm afraid."

A man who'd been sitting beside the sleeping drunk stood and approached the group. "My Laelette? A vampire? I can't believe it! I thought she'd gone to join the Stormcloaks, like I told everyone."

Shanti cocked her head. "Well, since she clearly didn't ... was she acting strange at all before she vanished?"

Thonnir looked thoughtful, then he nodded. "She had started spending time with Alva, when earlier, she couldn't stand her. But ... Alva didn't have a very good reputation, granted. Still ... it's hard to believe she'd be a vampire."

"Well, _someone_ turned Laelette," Bjorn said grimly. "That makes Alva sound like the culprit. We need to search her house for evidence."

"You really ought to get the Jarl's permission," Jonna said.

"We don't have time," Voranil growled. "If there were two vampires in town, there are bound to be more near by - maybe a full coven. What we found may be it, or may be just a single one's lair. We need information, and we need it now!"

A man in Morthal Guard armor stood, removing his helmet. "I agree. Unfortunately, we don't have the authority to enter anyone's place without the Jarl's authority, and by this time, Her Grace is asleep. Still, this is urgent, and we can't waste any time. Khajiit, your folk are known for illegality; how are you at lockpicking?"

Shanti shivered. "I know the basics, but I am no expert, and I have no lockpicks." And the only practice she'd had was on her own house's door, back as a child being trained in traditional arts. The Legion knew such skills were necessary, but preferred they not be taught to anyone not under full Legion discipline. Still, cultural differences ...

The guard grinned. "Divines know we have plenty of picks, from arrested thieves. And you'll have me and a couple of my men around you, literally looking the other way. Shall we go?"

The guards and those who'd been traveling with Shanti followed him to the guardhouse, where he retrieved a handful of lockpicks, which he gave to Shanti, then led them to a house a bit further down the wooden walkway. Then he and his men turned their backs to her, and she got to work.

She was nervous about doing something which was normally a crime, despite the guards' collusion. Her nervousness didn't help matters, and the lock was more complex than the one at home, which didn't help either. Shanti groaned as another lockpick snapped.

"Need a calming spell?" Voranil asked sympathetically. "You're starting to get shaky, and that can't be helpful."

"Please, yes." Shanti looked at him gratefully.

He smiled, charged an Illusion spell, then cast it at her, and she felt herself settling down. With that assistance, her next attempt was successful, and the group entered, spreading out to search.

"What are we looking for?" Shanti asked.

"Probably a coffin," Voranil replied. "Most vamps sleep in them."

Bjorn had run ahead, down into the cellar, and they heard him call, "Down here!"

The rest hurried down the stairs, to find Bjorn standing over an open coffin on a low platform. "She's not here, but there's a book in the coffin."

Shanti picked it up and opened it. "It's a journal," she said. It doesn't have dates, but it's obviously in order." Then she started reading aloud.

* * *

"My life is dreary. Where is my prince come to rescue me? Where is my bold Nord warrior to sweep me off my feet?

"I met a man today when picking nightflowers. He is exciting and exotic. We kissed in the moonlight. It was so romantic. I'm going to see him again tonight.

"Now I understand the true colors of the night. Movarth has shown me the true black of night and the true red of blood. He has promised me a feast of blood if I do his bidding in Morthal.

"Hroggar was easy to seduce. Movarth said I should find a protector first, someone to watch over my coffin during the day. Hroggar is perfect.

"Laelette came to visit me tonight. She slaked my thirst. I've hidden her away to let her rise as my handmaiden. I've spread the rumor in town that she left to join the war. Fools.

"Movarth has confided his grand plan to me. I am to seduce the guardsmen one at a time and make them my slaves. Then he and the others from the coven can descend upon Morthal and take the entire town. We won't kill them. They will become cattle for our thirst. An endless supply of blood and an entire town to protect us from the cursed sun.

Hroggar's family is becoming inconvenient. I've told Laelette to kill them all, but make it look like an accident. Hroggar must be seen as innocent if he is going to be my protector."

* * *

Bjorn turned to the guardsmen. "So she's planning to turn you into thralls. Probably did the same thing to Hroggar."

The senior guardsman nodded. "Harl, Franks - back to the inn, and take him to a cell. We'll have Falion take a look at him in the morning, and if he is enthralled, see if Falion can free him." When they acknowledged the order and left, he turned to the remaining three. "You, come with me. This, we do need to wake the Jarl for."

As they started to follow the guardsman, Bjorn touched Shanti's hand. "I was born and raised here. Jarl Idgrod is ... um ... a bit strange. Sees visions, that sort of thing. So if it seems she knows more than she should, that's likely why."

At Highmoon Hall, to Shanti's surprise, they found Jarl Idgrod awake and waiting for them. "My visions tell me our visitors have something I should see. What is it?"

Shanti stepped forward and bowed, handing Jarl Idgrod the journal, rather amused that Bjorn's warning had borne fruit so quickly. "This was in the coffin we believe was Alva's."

The Jarl read it, then said, "That traitorous bitch! Morthal owes you a debt." She turned to her steward. "Get that gold I had you separate out, and bring it." When he had, she handed Shanti a heavy pouch. "Here. You and your companions have earned this,but I need one more favor from you. Morthal is still in danger. The journal mentions Movarth, a master vampire I thought was destroyed a century ago. I'll get some of my townsfolk to accompany you, of course."

Shanti thanked her, then said, "I don't think your townsfolk should go. We found what seems now like his lair, last night. We three are a master mage, a scout, and a spellsword - having untrained people with us would simply hamper us. Perhaps a guardsman or two, but no civilians."

Jarl Idgrod smiled. "As you say, youngster. Guards only, then, and only those who volunteer."

* * *

When they gathered at Highmoon Hall the following morning, there were four guards, and Laelette's husband Thonnir. Shanti approached him. "Why are you here? she asked gently. "You don't seem like a fighter. Why don't you go to the inn, or home, and ... have a drink or something?"

He looked grateful. "Thank you ... I'm really not a warrior, but for Laelette and our boy ... "

"You'll do your boy more good by staying alive for him. Now go."

When he left, looking grateful, she turned to the ones remaining, both Hold Guards and both Nords. "Follow me."

At the cavern entrance, which was even less attractive in daylight, but didn't smell any worse, after a brief hesitation they entered, Bjorn scouting ahead,

They weren't very far into the lair when she heard Bjorn cursing about spiders, and the sounds of a fight. By the time she got to where the fight had been, she found three dead spiders. Their venom sacs were still full, so she took the time to collect the venom, then caught up with the rest, swearing to herself. Yes, frostbite venom was useful - and profitable - but the delay would cost her experience, with everyone else ahead of her now.

There was more fighting that she could hear but not see until she reached the aftermath, though she was able to make a contribution by healing one of the guards who'd taken a nasty blow to one arm. He thanked her when she was done, but then got back to work.

She didn't get to see or do anything more until they reached a larger chamber and the ones ahead of her spread out and began fighting. This looked like a dining room, with someone just rising from a throne-like chair at the far end of the table. Movarth?

Maybe, maybe not, but he was still a vampire, and she had a clear shot, so she focused flames in her left hand - she'd had her sword in her right the whole time - and yelled, "Movarth!"

The vampire turned to her, and she cast her spell at his face. It hit, and he screamed, then came at her faster than she'd have believed possible. She backed away as quickly as she could, gulping a magica potion, and charged flames again, casting as soon as the spell was ready. This time she focused it on his eyes, and was rewarded with another scream as he began clawing at his face.

She rushed forward, now wielding her sword two-handed, a combination of fear, fury, and revulsion adding strength to her blows. She kept hitting and hitting until she was pulled away and an amused voice said, "You can quit now. Not even a vampire can survive having his head cut to splinters. Not bad, and anything he has on him is yours."

"We ... should split it all, shouldn't we?" Though she seemed to remember a few exceptions to that general rule ... "

"Solo kill of a vampire," Voranil said in an amused tone. "Were-creatures the same. And dragons, of course."

"All right. But check the whole place out; a lair this size should yield plenty of loot. Maybe." She recalled the size and poverty of this Hold and its capital, feeling a bit ashamed. Divines, if not for having to establish her own home, she'd probably be offering the Jarl a share.

* * *

Instead, when they returned with news of Movarth's final death and the extermination of the vampire coven, the Jarl rewarded them again. "You three have done a great thing for my city and Hold. I sense you will do far more, in time. Especially you, my furry young friend. Divines bless you on your journey."

Shanti bowed politely. "Thank you, Your Grace. May They bless you and yours, as well."

"Oh, They do, though not in ways most consider normal. Your horse and two for your companions will be here for you in the morning. Now go, get some rest. You have a long journey ahead of you."


	8. Return to Whiterun

.

Chapter 8 - Back to Whiterun

"How did she know?" Shanti asked Bjorn as they rode out of Morthal toward Whiterun the next morning. "And ... I wonder how much _else_ she knows."

Bjorn shrugged. "I couldn't tell you. But she's always seemed to know everything important to Morthal and Hjaalmarch, and you're certainly that. She may even know what you really are. But she's also known to keep a good part of what she sees in her visions to herself, until it's a good time to reveal them."

"Good. Now, you two know everything about me, but all I know about either of you is your Legion rank and specialty. That doesn't seem quite right."

Voranil nodded. "Quite correct. But before we go any further, would you mind doing me a favor?"

"I'd at least consider it," Shanti said cautiously.

He sighed. "Just ... don't do things like running into a burning building, please. We're all outside the regular chain of command, as specialists, and a legate outranks a captain anyway, but the General made it pretty clear Bjorn's and my first priority is to keep you alive, while still letting you gain the experience you need. That's a pretty thin rope to walk, and we don't need you throwing yourself into danger like that."

"But I had to- Helgi's just a child!" How could he say she shouldn't save a child?

"And you're the Dragonborn." Voranil sighed again. "Like it or not, your life is more important than anyone else's, at this point. You're the only one who can kill a dragon so it can't come back."

"You're right, I don't like it at all." Shanti settled in her saddle, letting Golden Rainbow set his own pace, a bit slower than the others. How was she to think about that? Children were precious, and to be preserved whenever possible - all too many died of illness or accident before they could be gotten to a healer!

But ... Voranil did have a point, as well, much as she might dislike it, and not want to think about it. If songs and prophecy were to be believed, a Dragonborn was required to defeat Alduin, and his return heralded the appearance of the Last Dragonborn. He'd definitely appeared, which meant she was not only the Dragonborn, but the last one. So she was forced to admit, however reluctantly, she should indeed limit her risk-taking to things that would help prepare her to face the World-Eater.

She urged her horse forward, till she was riding beside Voranil. When he looked over at her, she sighed. "You're right, I shouldn't have run into that house. I think I'd have trouble living with myself if I hadn't but ... I won't do it again. I just ... well, I'm not used to thinking of myself as important at all, much less more important than anyone else."

"We know," Voranil said sympathetically. "Oblivion, you just turned seventeen, and were a junior officer in the Junior Legion. Then you find out you're supposed to be a hero out of legend. Of course you don't know how to react. We'll help you any way we can; all we ask is that you not make our job more difficult that it has to be."

"I'll do my best," Shanti agreed. "This ... my life's turning out a lot differently than I'd expected it to."

"Well, yeah," Bjorn said, pulling up on her other side. "Me, I'm doing exactly what I planned. I wanted out of Morthal as soon as I could, so as soon as I was of age, I headed for Solitude and enlisted. Just the usual from there on out, but still a whole lot more interesting than Morthal. Though I do go back to visit my parents and sister when I have a few days off."

"Now that I've been there, I can't say I blame you," Shanti said. "I don't like it either, between the swamp and how small it is. It must've been boring for you."

Bjorn chuckled. "You got it. I'm not sure I'd care to have grown up in a city as big as Solitude, either, but at least it'd have been a lot less boring."

Voranil laughed. "And Solitude's small compared to the Imperial City, where I was raised. I attended the Arcane University there, and joined the Shadow Legion when I made Adept. Things were pretty routine until the Dominion attacked. The fighting was ... nasty, and when they sacked the Imperial City it was worse. I lost my parents and sibs in that."

"I'm sorry," Shanti said. "Maybe you'd rather not talk about it - I didn't mean to pry."

"No, given what you said earlier, that we know everything about you and you know almost nothing about us. You should, so at least a brief outline is in order. Anyway. I was with the Emperor's forces when we broke through the Aldmeri lines and fled north - that was my first trip to Skyrim. Unfortunately, on the way back to the Imperial City, I was captured. I may go into that a bit later, but probably not. It was ... less than pleasant, but after a couple of months, I managed to convince them I'd broken, and accepted their stinking racist ideology. If you think Nords are racist, well ... they can't hold a candle to the Thalmor. Gah!"

He calmed himself, but to Shanti, it seemed something of a struggle. "At any rate," he continued, "once they believed I'd turned, they let their guard down, and I managed to escape and get back to the Legion in time for the Battle of the Red Ring. The City was badly damaged, even the White Gold Tower burned and looted. It had recovered a lot by the time I came here with General Tullius about five years ago, but it still needed work. It's going to be a different city, by the time it's completely rebuilt."

"I'd like to see it some day," Shanti said. "I've heard so much about it ... "

"Oh, it'll be beautiful again some day," Voranil said. "It wasn't too bad even when we left - they were concentrating on major landmarks, so the Palace and the Temple of the One were in pretty good shape. Shops and commerce ... well, a lot of trade was destroyed, and isn't as fast to be rebuilt. But that'll eventually happen as well."

The three continued to chat while they rode, and Shanti found herself relaxing more around them. Voranil didn't seem as old as he'd have to be to have made adept and fought in the Great War after however long in the Shadow Legion before that attack. Yes, she knew the true mer races aged more slowly than human or beastfolk, but this was the first time she knew it emotionally.

And both of them were bigger than she was. Not that being bigger than a Suthay was unusual, and Bjorn wasn't all _that_ big for a Nord, but still, she felt tiny in comparison. Voranil wasn't bulky, but he was tall ... she'd have to get him to teach her some tactics against someone that much taller.

* * *

They left their horses at the Whiterun Stable, then took the cobbled road up to the city proper. At the gates, the guards greeted them, and opened the gates without objecting to a Khajiit coming in. One hailed her, in fact. "Hey, cat - His Grace wants to see you as soon as you can get up to Dragonsreach."

"Thank you, Guard." Shanti smiled as she entered, Voranil and Bjorn flanking her. She waved to Adrianne, and the blacksmith grinned. "Alvor's working out great, Shanti - thanks for the pointer! Let me know when you want to upgrade your armor or weapons, and I'll give you a price break in return."

"I'll do that, and thanks. Have to go now, though; the guard said Jarl Balgruuf wants to see me."

"No problems. Dad gave him that sword, by the way, and I got a couple of nice commissions from it, too."

"Sounds like you've been busy," Bjorn commented as they went up toward the marketplace.

"Not really; I simply delivered a greatsword she had made, on speculation, for the Jarl, and recommended the Riverwood blacksmith to help her with an order for Legion swords. I'm glad she's doing well, and that the Jarl liked her sword."

On the way up the steps to the Wind District, Idolaf spotted her and approached, grinning. "Keeping Altmer company, are you, Shanti? I must admit, you have good taste in elves." He nodded to Voranil. "I'm Commander Idolaf, Captain. I've seen and heard about you the few times I've been in Solitude. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you, Commander. Perhaps we can meet in the local inn later, but for now, my principal has been called to meet with the Jarl."

Idolaf's eyebrow rose at that, and he gave Shanti a quick glance, then simply nodded. "Yes, Captain. I'll be at the Bannered Mare for supper, if you're free then."

The trio continued on their way up the seemingly endless steps, and entered Dragonsreach. Irileth approached, alert, then relaxed. "Lady Shanti. Follow me; Jarl Balgruuf will see you in his office."

"And my companions, please?"

Irileth nodded. "As you wish, my Lady." She led them upstairs, past the war room, and further up to the Jarl's office, then left them after serving wine.

Not too long afterward, Balgruuf entered and seated himself at his desk. "Welcome back, Dragonborn. What can I do for you?"

"Ah." Shanti shifted uncomfortably. "Your Grace was in the Legion, so you must be aware of housing regulations. I need -"

Balgruuf interrupted with a hearty laugh. "Of course I am. You're that close to needing a place of your own?"

"I still have most of a year,Your Grace - I'm only about two weeks past my seventeenth name-day. On the other hand, I don't want to wait until the last moment, and have to take anything a friendly Jarl might offer."

"And you came to me first?" Balgruuf smiled. "You're more than welcome to a place in Whiterun, Dragonborn. But the only place I have at the moment is Breezehome, which is next to Warmaiden's, so pretty noisy and ... not exactly suitable for one of your status. It's small, and has been deserted for years. But the city's expanding, and if you don't mind waiting a couple of months for something outside the current walls, I can have something more suitable constructed."

Shanti's ear-tips flushed with pleasure, and she smiled. "That would be wonderful, my Jarl. I would be honored, and as I said, I don't need to be out of the Married Officer Quarters for almost another year."

"You should really be behind city walls," Voranil said quietly.

Balgruuf gave him a curious look. "And you are?"

"Captain Voranil, Imperial battlemage, Your Grace. My colleague Sergeant Bjorn and I are assigned to Lady Shanti as bodyguards and instructors."

"Oh?" Balgruuf turned to Shanti. "Traveling with Legionnaires in mufti, are you?"

"Yes, my Jarl. We didn't want to hazard your neutrality by coming here in uniform. I'm Legion myself, now - Specialist-Legate Shanti Dragonborn, at your service. I ... um, I hope that won't make you change your mind."

Balgruuf looked briefly shocked, then he smiled. "I think my opinion of General Tullius has just gone up a couple of notches. No, I'm not going to change my mind, except to get that house built as quickly and I can, someplace that's behind the new city wall already being built. Fortunately, we have a local stone quarry ... but our logistics would probably bore you. Shall I have quarters for your companions included?"

"Please, my Jarl. As I understand it, they'll be with me until after the battle with Alduin, and it's going to take me some time to prepare." She hesitated. "I'm not bad for a Junior Legionnaire who's gone against bandits, and even a few necromancers, but I'm nowhere near ready to face a giant, much less Alduin."

"It will be done, Lady Dragonborn. And I'm glad you know your limitations. In the meantime, until your house is ready, you and your companions will have the use of a guest suite here in Dragonsreach. Though the servants will need a few hours to get it ready."

"Thank you very much, my Jarl!" She certainly hadn't expected that! "We've been invited to supper with Commander Idolaf at the Bannered Mare, and were planning to stay there overnight, then leave first thing in the morning for Riverwood. Though I'm thinking maybe we ought to just ride through and complete my mission for the Greybeards first, then stop in Riverwood for a bit of personal business on the way back to Solitude."

Balgruuf looked thoughtful, then nodded. "That would be best, I think." He stood, grinning. "Now, my Lady Dragonborn, if you'll excuse me, I have a Hold to run."

Shanti snorted, the closest she could get to a laugh, glad she hadn't been drinking anything, and stood to bow. "Of course, my Jarl. And thank you again for letting me make a home here."

He left, chuckling, and Shanti turned to her companions. "Do you mind the change of plans? I really think I ought to get the Horn back to Master Arngeir before we check out whoever it was who left that note."

"I see no harm in that," Voranil said. "So, shall we go to the Bannered Mare? I think we should make an early evening of it, since we have a long trip tomorrow."

"I agree," Shanti said.

In the Bannered Mare, she looked around. It was smaller than the Winking Skeever at home, but had the same feel, which was nice. Idolaf didn't seem to be here yet, so she went to the bar and made room arrangements with the innkeeper. "We're expecting someone else for supper, so do you have a table for four?"

"Certainly." The innkeeper led them to an empty table with four chairs, past a two-seat one with a nice-looking Breton and an Argonian in that race's distinctive armor.

The Breton smiled at her as they passed. "Dras'kay, Khajiit," he said.

"An fashali jer," she replied, returning his smile. "Greetings, desert-walker" and "And to you" had exhausted about ninety percent of her Ta'agra vocabulary, so she was just as happy he let the conversation drop, and she continued on to the table the innkeeper was showing them to.

When they were seated with goblets of wine, Shanti asked, "Do either of you know who that Breton is? I think I've seen him before, maybe around Solitude, but I don't know him."

Vonanil glanced at the man in question. "Afraid not." Bjorn shook his head.

"Oh, well. I was just curious; nothing important." Shanti forgot him as soon as her slaughterfish chowder arrived, and she began savoring it.


	9. Delphine

.

Chapter 9 - Delphine

After some argument, including that the Greybeards were unlikely to admit them to High Hrothgar and they'd just have to trek right back down, Shanti managed to convince Voranil and Bjorn to let her go up the Seven Thousand Steps alone. It seemed a miracle that she arrived at the monastery without having to fight anything, but she was so grateful for it that she didn't question her good fortune, simply entered. When she did, she found all four waiting, and Arngeir greeted her. "Welcome back, Dovahkiin - and with the Horn. Our fears of it being stolen were misguided, then."

"Not exactly ... under it, I found a note telling me to go to the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. So it was disturbed, but not actually stolen." Shanti handed over the Horn, grinning. "And then In Jurgen told me what the real test was. I will take care of the note on the way home. I need to investigate, because the inn's owner was with Farengar when I returned with the Dovahgolz. I'm quite sure she's the one who left the note, but that leaves me with a number of questions."

Arngeir smiled. "First, though, now that you've brought us the Horn, it's time we acknowledge you formally as Dragonborn. If you will stand in the middle of the hall?"

Shanti took her place, and the Graybeards formed a square around her. Then Arngeir nodded, and all four Shouted at her.

"Lingrah krosis saraan Strundu'ul, voth nid balaan klov praan nau.

"Naal Thu'umu, mu ofan nii nu, Dovahkiin, naal suleyk do Kaan, naal suleyk do Shor, ahrk naal suleyk do Atmorasewuth.

"Meyz nu Ysmir, Dovahsebrom. Dahmaan daar rok."

It was ... nothing like she'd imagined being Shouted at by four powerful Tongues would be. It was waves of sound, yes, and powerful, but it didn't stagger her; it was more ... strengthening, she thought, might be the best word. "I know what you said, and ... wasn't that how you greeted Talos?"

"It was indeed," Master Wulfgar said. "Rather, our counterparts six centuries ago, of course; we are hardly immortal. But the greeting was the same."

"And as always when we four Shout at once, it was heard throughout Tamriel," Borri added. "That will help you with most in Skyrim, but it will also make you a target, so be cautious."

"I will be," Shanti said. "I've been assigned bodyguards, and I've already been chided about something I did that they considered too dangerous."

"That's good. Pay attention to them." That was Arngeir. "We wish you well, Dragonborn. Though you may have an interesting philosophical discussion when your Voice becomes strong enough to make it to our Grandmaster."

"Who, if my studies are correct, is Paarthurnax." Shanti smiled, her ears going forward in anticipation. "I look forward to meeting the dovah who taught the first Tongues how to use the Voice that Kyne gave humanity."

"Did your studies also tell you he is Alduin's brother, and was his chief lieutenant before that?" Arngeir sounded skeptical.

Shanti shrugged. *So what?* He changed, which must have been difficult for him. And he's been living peacefully here for what, four thousand years? He's not evil now, if he ever was."

"Then may your Voice strengthen quickly." Arngeir smiled. "I think he will find that viewpoint refreshing, coming from one not a Greybeard."

"I'll do my best. Having been fascinated by dovah for so many years that the opportunity to actually speak to one is a very powerful incentive. What's the best way to do it?"

Arngeir chuckled. "We do it mostly by using the Voice in worship, quietly. Learning new Rotmulagge is another method, as is meditating on the ones you already know, and practicing them. But since you are Dovahkiin, perhaps learning new Words would be your fastest method."

"But there aren't many records of Word Walls left," Shanti objected. "So how can I find them?"

"We will listen," Wulfgar said quietly. "We occasionally hear whispers that give us clues. We are too old to search them out ourselves, but you don't have that problem. So ask when you visit, and we'll tell you of any."

"Then may I have one clue now? I'm not as patient as you four seem to be."

All four laughed at that, and Arngeir smiled. "You might want to check Dustman's Cairn. I get a sense of fire from there, that might mean a Rotmulaag for Fire Breath."

Shanti bowed, smiling. "Thank you, Master Arngeir. I'll go there as soon as I've investigated the Sleeping Giant note." She sighed. "And I suppose I need to get back to my bodyguards. They didn't want me to come up here alone, so they may be worried. Especially after the Shouting. I just wish I had a faster method of travel than walking or horseback, maybe something like the teleportation Morrowind is said to have had."

"Perhaps you'll find something, perhaps not." Arngeir smiled. "At least you have a frost-resistance spell on your armor, so you won't freeze on the way up or down here." He paused. "And from now on, since we won't be Shouting at you or the others speaking to your bodyguard, feel free to bring them with you. You shouldn't be separated from them any more than necessary."

"Thank you, Master Arngeir. I'll go back down, then."

* * *

When she got back down to Ivarstead, she found her bodyguards waiting at the foot of the Steps, looking worried. "I'm fine," she assured them quickly "It was just the acknowledgement I was going there for."

"But what did it mean?" Voranil asked. "It sounded like a thunderstorm with words, but there were no stormclouds."

"Oh." Shanti paused, as townsfolk gathered. "It's nothing to worry about," she tried to assure them. "They were simply acknowledging me as Dragonborn."

"But what did they say?" someone demanded from the small crowd.

She did a quick literal translation, and decided that wouldn't work, so she rendered it into colloquial Common. "The Stormcrown has long waited in sorrow, with no worthy head to rest upon. By our Voices we give it to you now, by the power of Kynareth, by the power of Shor, and by the power of ancient Atmorah. Become now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. Remember these words."

That got silence for a couple of minutes, then, "Dragonborn! Dragonborn! Dragonborn!"

She stepped down from the final step, Voranil and Bjorn at her sides. Then she raised her arms. "I have done nothing as yet, so don't get too excited. Yes, I'm Dovahkiin, but inexperienced. The Greybeards themselves say I have much to learn."

* * *

In Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak startled straight in his throne when he heard the Greybeards' announcement. "Galmar!"

"My Lord?"

"Find the Dragonborn and bring him to me. He could be a great addition to our forces if he's a true son of Skyrim."

Galmar nodded. "Yes, my Jarl. I'll send people to Ivarstead immediately."

"He'll probably have gone elsewhere by the time your people arrive, but that's a good place to start, yes."

* * *

The three left their horses at the stable, then went to the Sleeping Giant, where Shanti approached Delphine. "I would like to rent the attic room, please."

Delphine looked startled, and said, "Attic room, eh? Well... we don't have an attic room, but you can have the one on the left. Make yourself at home."

"Very well." Shanti and her bodyguards went to the indicated room, and waited.

Not long after, the door opened and Delphine entered. "So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about. I gather from what I heard earlier that you delivered the Horn before coming here." When Shanti nodded, Delphine continued. "We need to talk. Follow me." She paused. "Just you."

"No," Voranil said flatly. "She's not going anywhere alone with someone we don't know."

"And just who in Oblivion are you two?" Delphine demanded.

"Her bodyguards and instructors," Voranil replied. "For all we know, you're a Thalmor agent out to kill her."

Delphine snorted at that. "Very well, come along. I have a place we can talk safely."

The three followed her out of the room, across the taproom, and into a larger bedroom. Delphine went to stand beside a large wardrobe. "Well, someone close the door," she said impatiently.

Once Bjorn had done so, Delphine opened the wardrobe, then its back, revealing a stairway down to a concealed room. Once everyone was downstairs, she turned to Shanti. "The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right."

"Why?" Shanti asked bluntly.

"I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. Before I tell you any more, I need to make sure I can trust you."

"And we need to know if we can trust you," Voranil said. "We're supposed to protect her, as I said."

"You don't need to protect her from me, Altmer. I'm probably the only person in Tamriel - aside from you two, maybe - the Dragonborn is absolutely safe with." She gave them a thin smile. "I'm a Thalmor target because of what I am. So I find it rather amusing you think I could be one of their agents."

"So a Talos worshiper or a Blade who somehow managed to survive, perhaps both." Voranil frowned. "That would explain the katana on the wall, but that's hardly proof."

"Oblivion, Altmer, you're as paranoid as I am!" Delphine shrugged.

Shanti took advantage of the brief silence to ask, "Why are you looking for the Dragonborn, anyway?"

"Your man's right, I'm a Blade ... the only one left, to my knowledge. We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer. You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"

"The Greybeards say I can, but I've never done so, and I really don't want to. Except Alduin World-Eater, to keep the world from being destroyed."

Delphine frowned. "You, the greatest dragon-killer alive, don't want to kill dragons? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!"

"It makes very good sense indeed," Shanti retorted. "I'm Dragonborn the same way Emperor Tiber Septim I was, with both sos ahrk siil - blood and soul. He didn't kill them; he took some as allies, and Nafaalilargus ... a very strange name for a dovah ... was one of his generals. I prefer to follow that example."

"You're crazy," Delphine declared. "What if the dragon's attacking humans?"

She'd gone through that debate before, so Shanti was able to answer easily. "Killing even kin in defense of self or others is neither sin nor crime, so I would have no qualms. But I will not kill a brother or sister simply for the fact of being a dovah."

"I don't suppose I can discourage you from that, so I'll have to accept it," Delphine said grumpily. "But do you know dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life? I've been following their progress, using the Dragonstone map of their revivals, and finding empty barrows."

Shanti gave her a look of disgust. "Of course they are. Haven't you studied dovah history? The thur - Overlord - has the power to raise anyone whose soul hasn't been taken by another dovah or a Dovahkiin. Souls are eternal, of course. And Alduin has been thur for ... well, probably since Akatosh created dovah. So when he returned, he began resurrecting his followers who'd been killed."

Delphine scowled. "Sounds like Farengar was right when he called you a fellow scholar. Yes, I've studied dragons, but clearly not as much as you, Farengar, or Esbern. But that doesn't help. I don't need a scholar, I need a dragon-killer!"

"You have me as Dovahkiin, like it or not."

"So it seems. All right, I'm stuck with you, I suppose. So will you join me at the next place I expect to find a dragon resurrection?"

Shanti glanced at Voranil, and got a tiny nod, so she said, "I suppose so. Where is it?"

Delphine gestured them toward the map spread out on her table, stabbing at a town. "Kynesgrove, if the pattern holds. They've been emptying from south-east to north-west."

"South-east to north-west. Hmm. Was one of the empty ones near Riften?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Curiosity. One of Alduin's chief lieutenants was buried there, according to the _Atlas of Dragons_. One of the few burial places mentioned with an exact location and known occupant."

Before Delphine could say anything else, Voranil frowned. "Kynesgrove - isn't that in Eastmarch?"

Delphine nodded. "Just south of Windhelm, yes."

"Then it's a bad place to take her, right to the heart of Stormcloak territory. They may not know who the Dragonborn is, yet, but they probably will by the time we'd get there, and they're going to want her, a lot."

"Both sides are going to want her," Delphine said bitterly. "She may not be interested in politics, but if either side gets her allegiance, it'll be a propaganda triumph, and the other side's going to try to take her out of action. Not to mention the Thalmor."

"Yes, that's obvious," Voranil said. "That she's traveling with an Altmer bodyguard should tell you something, if you think about it."

"Shit." Delphine scowled at Shanti. "You've picked the Empire, have you? That was stupid. As long as you were non-aligned, they'd both be vying for your services. Now the Stormcloaks are going to be on the lookout for you."

"And what makes you think the Stormcloaks would even consider me?" Shanti asked. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not a Nord, and the Stormcloaks aren't even particularly fond of other humans, much less mer, and they definitely don't like beastfolk."

"A point," Delphine admitted grudgingly. "Though they might have made an exception for a Khajiit Dragonborn. Not that I think that'd be very likely."

"Where the Empire, despite its imperfections, welcomes us for our abilities. My father is a Legion officer, my mother a respected Bard, and I have been named a Specialist-Legate myself."

She couldn't quite interpret Delphine's expression at that, but she continued. "What of dragon mounds in Imperial-leaning Holds? I seem to recall the _Atlas_ mentioning one near Rorikstead."

"Um." Delphine consulted her map briefly, then nodded. "Much as I dislike missing the next resurrection and leaving people to the dragon, I must admit that my oath requires me to protect a Dragonborn. So we go to Rorikstead rather than Kynesgrove."

* * *

They didn't get as far as Rorikstead, though. They were barely past the far end of Lake Ilinalta when they heard wingbeats, and Delphine looked up. "Lorkhan's eyes!" she exclaimed. "Look at that big bastard! Keep your heads down, let's see what it does."

The four took cover behind a small pile of rocks, and Shanti said, very quietly, "That's Alduin. The World-Eater, the one who destroyed Helgen." And almost killed her father. "And there's a dragon mound right ahead of us. I don't remember that one from your map."

"I could've missed or misplaced a few," Delphine admitted, just as quietly. "The Dragonstone was a bit skimpy on landmarks, plus places change over that many years."

Alduin circled low over the burial mound, then used Voice. "Vuljotnaak, ziil gro dovah ulse!"

"Dark Maw Eat, ever-bound dragon spirit!" Shanti translated softly.

"Slen tiid vo!"

"Flesh reverse time."

They watched as cold flame wrapped the skeleton that arose, flesh and scales reforming.

"Great Talos!" Bjorn whispered. "It's ... that's incredible!"

"Steady," Delphine cautioned. "I don't know what's happening. Let's watch and wait. This is worse than I thought ..."

The transformation continued until the other dragon could speak.

"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?"

"Alduin, my overlord! Has time come to revive the ancient realm?"

"Geh, Vuljotnaak, kaali mir."

"Yes, Vuljotnaak, my ... um ... champion of allegiance."

Then Alduin seemed to take notice of them, addressing Shanti. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi. You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah.

Shanti translated the first part. "So, my false Dragonborn? I recognize nothing of dragon in you."

Then she replied. "Geh, zu'u tinvaak Dovahjul."

"Then hear this, kaaz! Vuljotnaak, krii daar joorre."

"Geh, thuri."

As Alduin left, Vuljotnaak took wing, and attacked with Frost Breath.

Shanti and Delphine used their bows, while Voranil used lightning bolts. "Go for the wings!" Shanti shouted. "Bring him to ground!"

When she could get a clear line of sight on him, she used Unrelenting Force against Vuljotnaak, who used Frost Breath in turn. She wished, when a couple of seconds permitted, that she had Fire Breath, but she didn't, so she fought with what she had.

When he was finally forced to ground, Bjorn got his first chance to take part, and seized it, running at the dragon with a war-cry she couldn't make out, jumping onto one broken wing to clamber up to Vuljotnaak's head and drive his blade through one eye.

Vuljotnaak screamed. "Dovahkiin! Nid!" Then he collapsed, the cold fire emerging from his body as it dissolved into a skeleton, and moved toward and into Shanti.

She stiffened, but ... it didn't hurt. In fact, it seemed to be healing the damage his frost breath had done, and she couldn't help smiling ... until Delphine approached while it was still going on. "Wait. Something's happening... gods above!"

Shanti ignored her for the moment. She had no idea if it would mean anything, or if he still had an independent existence, but she tried to "speak" to the slain dovah. *Vuljotnaak?* she thought, cautiously.

*Geh, thuri.* The thought was tired and faint. * _Thou hast won. I remain myself at thy sufferance. Else I shall fade, becoming truly a part of thee_.*

* _Then remain thyself, my brother. I do not wish to harm my kindred, just protect the mortals. Wilt thou speak to me further_?*

* _If thou wishest it, my sister. But thy siil is so strong I will ... sleep a great deal. It will take a very strong siil not to slip beneath thine, and take that easy way.*_

 _*So be it, then. But remain thyself, as long as such is thy wish.*_

 _*I shall. Should I wish otherwise, our Father will call me to Himself, and I will cease to exist for a time. Our Father and His Counterpart bless thee, my small sister._ *

Voranil touched her arm, bringing her back to the real world. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Shanti replied. "Absorbing his soul brought me back to full health. You and the others?"

"We used potions and healing spells. We're all right. But what do you want to do with the remains? Not the skeleton, obviously; it's too big to do anything but re-bury. But the loose bones, scales, and ... what he couldn't digest?"

Shanti shrugged. "We must report to Jarl Balgruuf, so bring everything along. I'm sure Farengar would appreciate a scale and a bone. I plan to keep one of each, myself, in Vuljotnaak's memory. The rest can be sold and the proceeds split." She saw him start to object, and shook her head. "It wasn't a solo kill; it took all of us, and I've already gotten the primary benefit. Except for the scales and bones, everything gets split the usual way."

"Very well, Dovahkiin," Voranil said with a smile. "Then shall we get back on the road?"

* * *

On the way back to Riverwood, Delphine drew her aside. "It's hard to believe ... but I can't deny the evidence of my own eyes. So you really are Dragonborn. That means I owe you some answers, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."

"Since I know you're a Blade, I don't have many," Shanti replied. "Except ... how did you avoid the Thalmor for so long?"

Delphine laughed. "Thalmor don't care about inkeepers, or other low-level types. Keep your head down, and they won't bother you. Unfortunately, as Dragonborn, that's not going to be an option for you."

"True, so I will simply have to be cautious."


	10. Dustman's Cairn

Author's Note: Rodryn and his people are Cyclone Sword's, used with permission.

* * *

Chapter 10 - Dustman's Cairn

Interlude: Fox's Den, not long after Shanti's acknowledgement:

"And check," Rodryn said as he moved his chess piece into position. "You know, Zyraxis, I really expected you to put up a fight here."

The Argonian huffed in response but remained silent otherwise, keeping his gaze on the board as Rodryn leaned back with a half turn in his chair and grabbed a bottle of liquor from the mahogany cabinet behind him.

"You got to admit that this," he continued as he briefly motioned to the board before filling two glasses, "is far from being your best game."

"You talk too much," Zyraxis grunted, downing his drink in one go before sliding the glass back to the Breton. "Haven't won yet, either."

"Very true," Rodryn replied as he leaned back in his seat and generated a small flame with his free hand, absent-mindedly changing its shape every couple of seconds while the Argonian decided which chess piece to move next.

The silence of the office was suddenly broken as a Nord wearing blue mage robes walked in.

"Vyric, back so soon?" Rodryn asked curiously as he straightened himself in his chair. "I wasn't expecting you for at least a week."

"The Divines have decided it was a good time to have a laugh, Rodryn," Vyric said as he approached the duo. "They gave the greatest honor one can have in Skyrim to a Khajiit." He continued, making the Argonian look up from the chess board and the Breton frown.

"A Khajiit?"Rodryn asked dubiously. "Are you sure?"

Vyric nodded. "Yes, Basth says you already met her. In fact, you told him to find out why she was allowed inside Whiterun."

"The Khajiit at The Bannered Mare," Rodryn muttered to himself in realization. "Somehow I feel like things are about to get much harder."

* * *

Whiterun:

Balgruuf was on his throne as usual when Shanti and the other three arrived. He was speaking to his three main courtiers, and all four of them were chuckling. Then Irileth saw her, and waved them forward, still wearing an uncharacteristic grin. "Dragonborn! We have some news you might find amusing."

When they got closer, Shanti said, "We have news as well, but yours first."

Balgruuf was grinning, as well, and so were Farengar and Proventus. "We're neutral, as well as centrally located, so we get travelers and traders from all over the province." When Shanti nodded, he continued. "We got word from one of our Stormcloak visitors that Ulfric found out who - and what - the Dragonborn is. I think the reports of his reaction may be a bit exaggerated, since I've known him for a long time, and he doesn't go on rampages like a berserking Orc, but I do believe the part that had him extremely upset and cursing the gods, the Daedra, and the Empire." Balgruuf grinned. "He's got quite the vocabulary of curses, even though he doesn't - or didn't, I haven't seen him for years - do it very often."

He chuckled again. "I do wish I could've seen it, though. We fought together during the Great War, but we've been rivals since, and ... well, never mind. What's your news?"

"We've eliminated a dragon for you, my Jarl. Unfortunately not Alduin, and it took all four of us, but the one he revived, Vuljotnaak. And that one is dead, permanently, because I took and hold his soul."

Farengar looked thoughtful, the rest more stunned. "You took his soul?" Balgruuf asked. "I thought a Dragonborn just took the dragon's power!"

"That is where the power resides," Shanti said. "At least for dovah and Dovahkiin. Our innate ability with language, and our ability to Shout, both come from the soul Bormahu - our father Akatosh - gives us. As does their immortality."

"Then you four have done my Hold and my city a great service - especially you, Dragonborn. You'll all be rewarded as you deserve, but in addition, by my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It's the greatest honor that's within my power to grant. I assign you my niece Lydia as a personal Housecarl. I'll also notify my guards of your new title."

"Thane? You do me too great an honor, my Jarl."

"We are greatly honored to have you as Thane of our Hold and city, Dragonborn." Balgruuf smiled. "Thanes are ... not exactly common, but you're the first Dragonborn in centuries."

"But Thanes are courtiers, and I will probably not be able to fulfill Court duties on a regular basis, if at all," Shanti objected.

"Don't worry about it - I assumed as much when I gave you the title. Your Dragonborn responsibilities must always take precedence." He grinned. "Don't be too surprised if other Jarls follow my example. But I'll remain the first Jarl to have given you proper recognition."

Shanti smiled, purring. "You've given me a great deal already, my Jarl, and I'm most appreciative of all of it. I'm not sure it's much of a return, but now that I've actually proven my Dovahkiin status by being acknowledged by the Greybeards and absorbing a dragon's soul, I see no need to maintain secrecy about my identity."

"It wouldn't do much good anyway, "Voranil put in. "Once you came down from High Hrothgar and admitted it to the villagers, your cover was blown. And His Grace just said Ulfric Stormcloak knows."

"True. So we will take advantage of His Grace's hospitality and central location, and work from our Dragonsreach apartment until my house is ready. But ... only the three of us travel together. Delphine and Lydia would make our group too large to travel freely, as I must."

"Got it," Delphine said. "I'll go back to the Sleeping Giant until you need me, then."

"And Lydia will supervise the building of ... what will you name it, Dragonborn?"

Shanti thought for almost a full minute, then smiled as she came up with the obvious answer "'Ofansebalgruuf', of course. Or perhaps 'Ofan', for vodov who dislike Dovahzul lengthy names."

"And the meaning?"

"Balgruuf's Gift,' or simply 'Gift'." She smiled. "Unless you object, of course."

"Not at all, though I'll probably just call it 'Ofan' myself. I'm pleased you choose to have my name as part of the Dragonborn's home."

Shanti inclined her head. "It seemed obvious. But I'm pleased that you're pleased." She grinned up at him. "Still we've fought a dragon this day, and I, at least, need to rest and ... get accustomed to me and Vuljotnaak sharing a body. Even if he decides to sleep most of the time."

"I cannot imagine," Balgruuf said. "Certainly, do as you will. Dragonsreach is your home for now; you needn't ask me for permission for normal things. Now, if you want to bring a dragon onto the Great Porch, I'd appreciate a bit of advance warning, but otherwise, feel free."

"Thank you, my Jarl. I'll be back for breakfast, but now I ... I need to rest."

* * *

The next morning, as the trio was passing the Talos shrine, Shanti saw Alaric sitting on a bench beside the Jorrvaskr doors, and waved to him. He grinned and waved back, then called, "Good to see you again, Shanti. Got a couple of minutes?"

"Sure." She climbed the steps and introduced her companions to the Companion. "How have you been?"

"Busy, as always, but we've got a special job. Farkas and I'll be headin' to Dustman's Cairn for some fragments of Wuthraad. Would you be interested in goin' along? I like workin' with you, an' Farkas was impressed with the way you helped with that giant."

"Giant?" Voranil's tone was resigned. "Please tell me you didn't attack it."

"Lucky shot with my bow," Shanti reassured him. "And I told you Alaric helped me through Bleak Falls Barrow, when I just had a couple of spells, not Voice."

"Then we owe you thanks, Companion," Voranil said. "We're going to Dustman's Cairn ourselves, for something the Lady Dragonborn seeks."

Alaric grinned. "Maybe we can travel together, then."

"Perhaps meet there, instead." Shanti remembered the werewolf smell of Farkas, and hid a shudder. "We should coordinate, at least enough to avoid getting in each other's way, and it's entirely possible your goal and mine will be in the same place."

"Okay. We'll be headin' out in about an hour."

"And we're leaving now - walking, since I don't care to leave our horses ground-tethered and unprotected. We will wait for you before entering."

On the way, she told Voranil and Bjorn about Farkas being a werewolf, along with at least two of the other Companions. "I haven't met them all, so I don't know how many are, but Farkas, Aela, and Skjor definitely are. Alaric and Ria are not, just as definitely."

"Hmm. Do you think it's known outside Jorrvaskr?" Bjorn asked.

Shanti thought for a moment, then nodded. "I don't think it's possible to keep such a thing secret forever, or even a very long time. I'm pretty sure it's an open secret, at least within Whiterun Hold. Werewolves need to eat, and their kills are ... rather distinctive. Humans have a weak sense of smell, but even they can sometimes smell the wet-dog scent of a werewolf in human form, and in time would draw the correct conclusion. Also, the wolf theme to Farkas' armor is a not very subtle clue."

Voranil chuckled. "I tend to agree with that evaluation," he said. "So they have excellent control, or they'd be dead as a menace to the Hold. Balgruuf has a reputation for not taking chances when it comes to the welfare of his people."

With that, the talk drifted to casual chat. Shanti looking forward to her "real Legion" armor. Bjorn mentioning the time he'd heard Ko'Adanji sing for the troops, accompanying herself with a strange instrument she called a Breton harp. Voranil reminiscing about his time at the Arcane University when the Hero of Kvatch had been Archmage, before the Synod and College of Whispers had separated themselves from it.

They went past the Western Watchtower, then north, until they reached Dustman's Cairn. It was one of the ancient Nordic barrows with a stairway into a round chamber and a door leading underground, rather than like Bleak Falls with its huge above-ground structure and open chambers before the descent below the surface. There wasn't much to see, and it was a temptation to get into the barrow and start their search, but they'd promised to wait, and it shouldn't be much more than an hour, even if the Companions were delayed.

They weren't; in fact, they arrived barely three-quarters of an hour after the three Legionnaires, laughing and grinning. Farkas hailed them as he and Alaric descended the steps. "Heyla, Dragonborn! You and your people ready to go?"

"We've just been waiting for you," Shanti replied.

"Then go ahead, if you want. The Dragonborn always takes precedence." He bowed, smiling, and gestured toward the door with a flourish. Shanti returned the bow with a grin, drew her sword, and opened the door.

She wasn't surprised to find three sarcophagi and draugr in the first room. The surprise was that the draugr were dead, all three decapitated. There wasn't much in the way of loot, just a skill book none of her people were interested in, so she gave it to Alaric - and an easily-opened chest with mixed coins and a couple of minor gems. Even though they weren't after conventional loot, they took it along to divide later.

* * *

There was no such thing as an easy barrow traverse. Everyone knew and accepted that. But some were worse than others, and Dustman's Cairn turned into one of the worst Shanti had ever heard of.

The next room held an arcane enchanter and a couple of thrones. The way forward was blocked by a gate, so the five started looking for a way to open it. It was Alaric who found a lever in a side room, not much more than a niche, and pulled it. It opened the gateway ahead of him, but also lowered one at the entry of the alcove, trapping Alaric. When he tried the lever again, it broke.

Farkas started through the opened date, saying he'd look for a way to open the alcove gate - then he yelled, retreating and turning to face a large group of attackers. Shanti drew her sword, preparing a flame spell, hoping Farkas would move aside so she could use it.

"Which one is that?" one of the attackers asked.

"It doesn't matter," another replied. "He wears that armor, he dies."

"Killing you will make for an excellent story," another added, and Farkas laughed.

"None of you will be alive to tell it." Then he crouched, and began to shift, his armor popping off as if designed to do so. Shanti watched in shock that turned to awe as he counter-attacked. She'd known werewolves were ferocious, so much so that the Legion never sent less than two squads after one, armed with silver weapons and usually backed by a battlemage, but seeing Farkas in action was almost unbelievable. He moved too fast for her to dare casting any spells at his foes, for fear of hitting him.

It took less than a minute - though it felt to her like far longer - for Farkas to straighten, transform back, and begin putting his armor back on. Then he turned to her. "I hope I didn't scare you."

"No, but I must admit you impressed me quite a lot. I've never seen a werewolf in action before." She gestured at the corpses. "Who were they?"

"Silver Hands. Bad people who don't like werewolves, or vampires, and kill anyone they even suspect of being either."

Shanti grimaced. "So we'll be facing them, as well as the barrow's draugr. Plus whatever else has decided to lair here. Either I or Voranil should take point, the other tail, so we have a mage front and rear."

"That sounds reasonable," Farkas said.

"And I'll take point," Voranil added. "I have far more experience and magica, as well as my duty." Once they found the switch that freed Alaric, they continued on.

* * *

They made their way slowly through the barrow, hampered by draugr, Silver Hands, and all too many frostbite spiders. The individual enemies weren't that bad, but there were so many of them! Fortunately, between Voranil and Shanti's healing abilities, and the potions everyone carried, they weren't in too bad shape when they reached the door that Shanti's Clairvoyance spell said ought to hold the goals for both her and the Companions.

They had a bit of trouble finding the key to that door, since none of them were able to pick the lock, but eventually they did, and Voranil opened it. He took one look around, then re-closed the door and turned to the group. "We have a bit of a problem here."

"What is it?" Farkas asked.

Voranil knelt, to sketch a long rectangle in the dust on the floor. "Door's here. At the far end is a Word Wall in front of an altar. Neither's a problem on its own ... but both walls are lined with sarcophagi. I didn't have time to count them, but at a guess, something between thirty and fifty. And given what we've encountered so far, the draugr they hold are likely to be among the more powerful varieties." He turned to Shanti. "How are you at casting Destruction runes?"

Shanti shook her head. "I'm not that advanced. But if I can get to the Word Wall, it'll probably teach me a word of Fire Breath, so I'll be able to help that way."

Voranil sighed. "All right. If we have to do it that way, we will. Farkas, Alaric, with Shanti. Bjorn, on me. I'll go back in, cast as many rune spells as I have the magica for along the right side. And give me any magica potions any of you have."

Once that was done, he entered the larger room again, and Shanti could hear him casting a number of spells. When he emerged, he was looking exhausted. "Anyone have a Stamina potion?"

They all looked through their packs, but there were only a couple of relatively weak ones, which he swallowed anyway. "I got about three-quarters of the way up the right-hand wall of sarcophagi, so you'll be able to make it most of the way without much trouble. But you'll still have maybe five to eight to fight, unless others break out from the left, where i couldn't plant any runes. So I'd recommend you get to the Wall, get your Word, then go on defense."

Given that he was an experienced battlemage, and she was a jumped-up Junior Legionnaire, Shanti nodded. Her sword was still in her hand, so she charged a flame spell in her free one.

Farkas tapped her on the shoulder. "Let me shift and go first, shield-sister. I'm faster and stronger than you, and even more so in beast form. I also heal pretty quickly, so if you accidentally hit me, it's not likely to do more than slow me down a bit."

Alaric nodded. "You in the lead, her next, me as rear guard. Let's go."

Farkas shifted, then led the way out the door and along the right wall, slowing slightly when he was past the runed sarcophagi. Shanti followed, as fast as she could, but as she passed each one, the sarcophagus behind her blew open, setting off the runes - from the sound, though she didn't dare turn around to watch, Voranil had chosen to set lightning runes. There were combat sounds, too, so Alaric was fighting any draugr who survived the runes.

Then draugr began emerging from the sarcophagi Farkas was passing, and Shanti began casting flames at any she could target with a chance of avoiding him. She did manage to slow them down, though with Farkas' speed and strength, she wasn't at all sure she was very much help.

When she reached the Word Wall and it began chanting and glowing, she focused on the brightest word, Yol, and smiled when it approached and moved into her. It felt ... comfortable, and she decided she really liked this one. When it was done with her, she turned to see Farkas and Alaric protecting her, while Voranil and Bjorn were fighting their way forward. "Go!" she yelled at her protectors. "I'll be all right!"

They took her at her word, werewolf and human Companions going to the aid of the Legionnaires assigned to her. An occasional draugr made it past the four, but her new Shout proved even better against the dessicated things than her flame spell was, and she only had to use her sword a couple of times.

Eventually, the active combat was over, and the group gathered around the altar. "You got the Word, obviously," Voranil said with a grin.

"And here are the shards of Wuthraad we came for," Farkas said, indicating pieces of metal on the altar. "Let me retrieve my armor, then we can check for more loot, gather these, and get back to Whiterun."

* * *

On the way back, Shanti approached Farkas and tapped his hand. When he looked down, she said, "I owe you an apology. When I smelled you were mungrohiik, I fear I thought the worst of you, Aela, and Skjor as well. I am sorry."

"No need," he replied. "Most werewolves - I assume that's what that word means - are pretty much what you probably think. It takes time and discipline to ... bring the internal wolf under control. But the Companions have a lot of experience with that, and Kodlak is ... insistent about it. He and my twin brother Vilkas are the only other two, if that's any comfort."

"After seeing you in action, comfort isn't needed," Shanti assured him. "I wouldn't care to be bound to Hircine myself, but then I'm not too attached to any gods except Father Akatosh and Talos."

"Father? Oh, yes. As Dragonborn, you're a direct child of His." Farkas grinned. "Would you mind talking to Harbinger Kodlak when we get back? You've proven both combat skill and honor, with the giant and now at the Cairn, and we've never had a Dragonborn in our ranks. I think it'd be an honor to have you as a Companion."

Alaric joined in. "You forget Bleak Falls Barrow, sword-brother. And you're right. She'd make a good Companion, but I think she went Legion first."

"Nothing says she can't be both," Farkas retorted. "I'll take her to see the Harbinger when we get back home."

* * *

And he did. Shanti was impressed to see the elderly but still strong-looking man sitting at a table in the lower-level Jorrvaskr living quarters. Farkas introduced them, and Kodlak rose to greet her. "Welcome, Dragonborn," he said with a smile. "What can the Companions do for you?"

Before she could say anything, Farkas replied. "I think we should recruit her, Harbinger. If she's willing, of course. She and her people went through Dustman's Cairn with us, behaving themselves with full honor." He hesitated. "Even though I had to go were twice, in front of them."

Kodlak stiffened briefly, then turned to Shanti. "How did that affect you, youngster?"

Shanti had to give that a bit of thought before saying, "I ... well, it shocked me, the first time. But he killed people who were trying to kill him, and I've done that myself. Besides ... " She took a deep breath, then sighed. "I'm not exactly what I look like, myself, am I?"

Kodlak smiled. "No, you aren't, Dragonborn. Even though you don't shapeshift as five of us do. So, shall we make you and your companions ... ah, Companions?"

"I know you're neutrals, like Jarl Balgruuf, and we three are Legionnaires, even though I'm ... um, a Specialist, so that may not really count. But I'm still firm for the Empire."

"You took the same oath we did," Bjorn said. "It counts, Legate."

Kodlak chuckled. "We've never had Imperial officers as Companions before, but we've also never barred them, as long as they fought honorably. We have, however, had Thanes, on occasion. We will offer you no jobs that conflict with your Imperial or Dragonborn duties, should you decide to join us."

"I may not be able to do many, perhaps any at all, until I've developed the strength and skills I'm going to need before I face Alduin. Though if you can notify me of what you have, some may serve as part of my education and training." She turned to Voranil. "That is, if we're allowed to be Companions as well as Legionnaires."

He grinned at her. "Bjorn and I can't be both, but no one can tell the Dragonborn what to do. So if you think it might help your primary mission, certainly, join them."

Kodlak smiled. "Then accompany me out to the training ground. Farkas, Alaric - gather the rest, for her initiation."

When all the Companions who weren't out on jobs were gathered on the sandy area in back of Jorrvaskr, Kodlak spoke. "Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold. This woman has endured, has challenged and has showed her valor. Who will speak for her?"

Farkas' voice was firm: "I stand witness for the courage of the soul before us."

Kodlak nodded. "Would you raise your shield in her defense?"

Farkas and Alacic spoke as one. "We would stand at her back, that the world might never overtake us."

Kodlak looked surprised, possibly at the dual reply. "And would you raise your swords in her honor?"

"They stand ready to meet the blood of her foes."

"And would you raise a mug in her name?"

"We would lead the song in triumph as our mead hall reveled in her stories."

Kodlak smiled as he concluded the ceremony. "Then the judgment of this Circle is complete. her heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, so the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."

Every one of the Companions agreed. "It shall be so."

Then Kodlak approached Shanti, clasping forearms with her. "Well, Dragonborn, you're one of us now. It's an honor to have you as a Companion."

"It's an honor to be one," Shanti replied. "Jarl Balgruuf has put one of the Dragonsreach suites at my disposal, so I can be reached there if you need me. Though I'm planning a trip to Solitude tomorrow, to let my parents know I'm all right."

"We'll see you when you get back, then. Safe travels, Dragonborn."


	11. Mulventoor

Author's Note: Anything between asterisks is mostly-translated Dovahzul (mostly, because I like Dovahzul and will put some in un-translated from time to time). Standard print is vocal, italics is thoughts. And all untranslated Dovahzul should be clear from context.

Chapter 11 - Mulventoor

Once they were on the road to Solitude, Shanti brought Golden Rainbow up beside Voranil's horse. "A question, if I may?"

"What is it?"

"Well ... it's gotten awfully obvious we're going to be back and forth across Skyrim, and I'd really rather not waste most of my time traveling when I could be training or studying. I mean, a ride or carriage trip is fine, but I wouldn't care for it as a career. Do you know anything like the teleportation spells Morrowind supposedly had?"

"Hmm." Voranil frowned. "They actually had four instant-travel methods, if my memory serves me correctly. Guild Guides, mages who could send you from one guild location to another. Some kind of religiously-oriented scrolls that could take you to an Imperial Cult shrine, and a variation that only had a few locations. Something that could take you to some old Dunmer locations, but nowhere else. I think the one you'd want would be the expanded version of Mark and Recall. I don't know it myself ... not sure anyone does, these days, because the Empire saw it as a violation of security. But the head of the Shadow Legion here may know it, and be willing to teach you. I'll check, but I can't promise anything."

"Please do. If it'd endanger the Empire I wouldn't _want_ to know, but ... oh, Divines, how many trips just up and down the Seven Thousand Steps that could save me!"

Voranil laughed. "I'll definitely check with her, then."

* * *

It was a long ride, so it was close to dusk when they neared Fort Snowhawk. There was a Legion patrol in the distance, and Shanti winced when she heard a roar and saw flame erupting as she heard a Shout. She slid off her horse and ground-tethered him, then ran toward what had to be a dragon, drawing her sword. Voranil and Bjorn followed her.

She shuddered at what she saw as they got closer. A dragon on the ground, being assaulted by an Imperial patrol with swords, bows and arrows, and magic. It was still fighting, snapping and occasionally breathing fire, but clearly weakening rapidly. It was bronze-colored rather than Alduin's black, but who?

She got the answer within seconds, as the dovah succumbed to its wounds, protesting "Nid, Dovahkiin!" as Vuljotnaak had, then was consumed by cold flame that moved into her. The absorption itself was familiar, though since she hadn't been injured, not restorative. Otherwise, though, the reaction was very different from Vuljotnaak, who'd surrendered to the Dragonborn with no more than mild resignation. This one was strong, and proud. Why the difference?

It was different in another way, too, because rather than just giving her the dragon's name - Mulventoor - it opened up something within her, even more so than "Fus" or "Yol" had done in revealing the dragon language. So much so, in fact, that she couldn't comprehend more than a tiny fraction of it right away, as if it had given her all the dragon's knowledge.

* _It did_ ,* a deep, resonant voice "said" inside her head. * _Eventually I will probably become an unnoticeable part of you - but for now I will keep my separate identity. If you permit, while that lasts, we can talk like this_.*

"Um." Shanti gulped. "I ... um, wasn't expecting that."

Her words got curious looks from those around her, and Voranil said, "What do you mean?"

She made a shushing gesture as the internal voice replied. * _You, a dovah, do not know what happens when another dovah dies in your presence?*_ It paused. * _It might be best if you do not reply vocally; the joorre are looking at you oddly._ *

* _You're probably right,_ * Shanti admitted. * _No, I don't. At least not completely; I knew about the soul absorption, butVuljotnaak simply settled in and is ... barely noticeable any more. And why do you call me a dovah? I'm Khajiit._ *

The Legionnaire who'd dealt the final blow interrupted. "The dragon called you Dovahkiin, miss, and it looked like you stole his power. That's something only a Dragonborn can do. Can you Shout, like the dragons do? Have you tried it?"

"Yes," Shanti replied. "I assume you'd like a demonstration?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all." She was supposed to strengthen her Voice, and like anything else, the only way to strengthen it was to use it, either by Shouting or by learning new Words of Power. She turned so the sergeant and his men could see, but she wouldn't harm them, and used her newest Shout. "Yol!"

Fire erupted from her mouth, and he winced. "Divines! That looks painful - are you all right?"

"Fine," she reassured him. "Shouting is natural for me."

"Good." He smiled. "We'll escort you to Solitude, Lady Dragonborn. Her Grace the Jarl and General Tullius are going to want to speak to you, I'm sure." He paused. "I'm Sergeant Corvanus, by the way, leader of this patrol." He turned away briefly, to send one of his men to fetch their horses, then returned his attention to her, bowing. "May I know your name, Lady Dragonborn?"

"I'm Shanti. And General Tullius already knows, but yes, I should report to him." His deference was almost embarrassing - no one deferred to a Junior Legionnaire, ever!

Once she, Voranil, and Bjorn were re-mounted and on the way to Solitude with the Legionnaires escorting them, she repeated her mental question to her guest. * _What did you mean, calling me dovah? I have fur, not scales, and no wings. I am Khajiit, even though the Greybeards have named me Dovahkiin_.*

* _You are both, thanks to our father Akatosh, who your people call Alkosh,_ * Mulventoor replied calmly. * _Khajiit in form, dovah in soul and blood, else I would not be here, with my body permanently dead. A dovah who dies in the presence of another dovah has his soul absorbed by the survivor, as you have already discovered. Since all dovah are children of Akatosh, you are my sister - the youngest of the dovah. A mere child, in our terms ... you have not even a hundred winters yet, do you?_ *

* _Err_ ... * Shanti felt herself flush. * _I'm .. just about half a moon past my seventeenth name-day, actually.*_

 _*Kiir, indeed,_ * Mulventoor sent, amused. * _So only seventeen winters, yet you wear elven armor, and dare to fight a dovah.*_

* _Um, I helped fight Vuljotnaak, but I didn't fight you ... even if I hadn't gotten there too late, I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to actually_ attack _a dragon, rather than just defend myself from one attacking me_.*

Mulventoor sobered instantly. * _Then you had best develop it, child_.* He sent a deep sigh. * _My youngest and most vulnerable sister, did our Father send you to Nirn with no knowledge at all?*_

* _What do you mean?_ *

His thought-tone became somber. * _There have been Dovahkiin since His First-born Alduin went rogue, and began turning the cooperation He planned between dov and joor to domination by dov over joor. The first was Miraak, a Dragon Priest who revolted against us, yet refused his duty to destroy Alduin. He killed many dovahhe, devouring their souls. Bormah willing, you will destroy him and absorb all those souls, giving them peace ... since Miraak will give them none. You are the Last Dragonborn. One way or the other, there will be no need for more Dragonborns. Either Alduin wins, and devours the world, or you win, and replace him, restoring us to our original purpose._

 _*But you were born specifically to face Alduin, not Miraak, though he would be a good opponent to test your readiness for the final battle. You, the youngest, will face the Eldest, with your fate and that of the world at stake_.* Mulventoor paused briefly. * _Do I frighten you, Youngest Sister?*_

* _Yes. Well, not exactly_ you _, but you're telling me our most horrifying prophecies are true, and I'm the subject. Up until now, it seemed like I was, but I could still hope otherwise. But you say it's a certainty.*_

 _*Then prepare yourself as well as you can. If you permit, I will help as much as I am able. My fate, after all, is indissolubly tied to yours, and I would much rather have you defeat and replace him than have him devour our souls, and then destroy the world.*_

 _*You ... you've given me a lot to think about.*_

 _*I will be quiet and let you do so, then._ * Mulventoor fell silent.

Solitude

The group left the horses at the stable, then walked up the hill to Solitude proper. Three people in civilian gear accompanied by a squad of Legionnaires drew attention, and when they got to the guards at the gates, they were stopped. "Prisoners, Sergeant?" one asked.

Corvanus shook his head. "Hardly ... the Dragonborn and party, to see General Tullius. And would you send a messenger to Jarl Elisif to let her know?"

"Dragonborn?" Both gate guards looked awed, then one bowed to Bjorn. "It's an honor, Dragonborn!"

Bjorn shook his head. "Not me. Shanti's the Dragonborn."

"Shanti?" The question sounded disbelieving. "But she's a Kha - " The guard broke off abruptly, and bowed to her. "Lady Dragonborn. Welcome back to Solitude."

"Thank you." Shanti returned the bow as they opened the gate, then she and her party entered. As they neared the Winking Skeever Inn, Sergeant Corvanus stopped. "If you don't need us any longer, Lady Dragonborn, my men and I should get back to Fort Snowhawk before they start thinking that dragon killed us and send out a body-recovery party."

"Go ahead - and thanks for the escort here. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, and you're welcome," Corvanus said with a grin. "Blessings of the Divines go with you in your efforts, my Lady."

"And with you and your men." Shanti watched them leave, then headed up the ramp toward Castle Dour, taking a right at the top toward Beirand's forge.

He was getting ready to close, but when he saw who was approaching, he grinned. "Shanti! Good to see you again. And your armor's ready. Or should I call you Lady Dragonborn?"

"As long as our families have known each other? Maybe at a formal affair you can use a title, but for every-day, I'd prefer my name."

Beirand chuckled. "Very well, Specialist-Legate Shanti Dragonborn. I'll keep calling you just plain Shanti. And odds are anyone who uses titles is going to leave off Specialist, too. That makes it too much of a mouthful." He turned to his workbench and handed her a bundle. "Here you go. First set is courtesy of the Legion, and I tossed in an extra subarmalis, but you pay for any replacements or repair work. Officially, anyway, but not until after you get your household set up and running. That can get pretty expensive."

"Thanks, but it's not going to cost me much, if anything." At his look of surprise, she continued. "I took care of a dragon for Jarl Balgruuf. He named me his Thane, and he's having a house built for me between the old and the new walls. You did hear Whiterun City's expanding, geh?"

"Geh." Beirand grinned again. "So Thane, too? And a free house, and undoubtedly a housecarl as well. Do your parents know yet?"

"No, I stopped here first to see if my armor was ready. I need to let General Tullius know I'm here temporarily, maybe borrow a spare room to change so I can go home in this new armor - "

"Oblivion with that! Get yourself into the shop and change. I want to see the Dragonborn in my handiwork! Heimvar's gone for the day, so you'll have privacy."

"But you were getting ready to leave - I don't want to keep you from supper!"

"Oh, Sayma and Kayd will forgive me for being a bit late when I tell them the reason. And I want to be sure it fits properly. Now, go!"

With that assurance, Shanti entered the shop, stripped down to her smalls, and for the first time put on a red rather than green subarmalis. Then, shaking a bit, she donned the armor of an Imperial Legate, something that usually took a lot of years to earn, if a person managed it at all.

* _You are worthy, Youngest Sister, never doubt that,_ * Mulventoor told her. * _Dovahkiin should be a ruler, you know. The last one became a Divine, after his reign on Tamriel was over_.*

Shanti nodded, then squirmed a bit to settle her new armor, and picked up the bundle that now held her elven set. When she left the shop, Beirand was waiting. "How does it feel? Do the sword forms, please."

Shanti obliged him, going through the practice moves she did every day. "It feels fine. Thank you."

He left for his home, smiling, and Shanti took Bjorn up on his offer to carry her things to her home. "Tell whoever's there I'll be done as soon as the General's finished with me, would you?"

"Of course."

XX

Shanti reported to Tullius, who was in his map room with Rikke as usual. "Good evening, sir. Specialist-Legate Shanti reporting in."

"Very good, Legate. What news?"

She briefed him, and he smiled. "Two dragons permanently dead is excellent news! And you being made Thane of Whiterun may be even better. Legate Rikke has a mission she'd like you to do, but ... if Balgruuf is in such a favorable mood toward you, and perhaps the Empire, would you mind delivering a message to him for me first? I have information the Stormcloaks are planning an attack on Whiterun, though not when, and I'd like to offer him Legion troops. Again. He's refused me so far, but perhaps with you in his favor ... "

"I understand, sir. I remember from my Junior lessons: Whiterun is strategically vital, worth bringing into our protection even if it means a loss of trade with the eastern Holds. Certainly, I'll take him a message. But I'd appreciate it if I could wait till morning to leave. I'm pretty tired, and I'd like to visit my parents."

Tullius chuckled. "Certainly. I expect an attack there, but it's not imminent, according to our intelligence. I'd like time to get our forces in place without rushing, though, and it's quite possible you'll be able to get Rikke's mission done while our forces are getting there. Assuming Balgruuf agrees, of course."

He made shooing motions. "Go home, Lady Dragonborn. I'll expect you to be fully rested when I see you again. And you should visit Jarl Elisif at her morning audience. She's interested in meeting the Dragonborn."

"Yes, sir." Shanti left, gratefully.

Once she and Voranil got to the courtyard, he said, "I'll go talk to my commander about what we discussed earlier, Legate, by your leave."

"You have it, Captain."

He left, and Shanti was finally free to return home. When she got there, Darius was waiting. "I kept a couple of pheasant breasts warm for you, and your parents are waiting in the dining room. What would you like to drink?"

"Kumiss, I think. Anything stronger, and I'd probably fall asleep before I finished eating, and I really do want to talk to Mums and Dad."

"Kumiss it shall be, then."

As she headed toward the dining room, Shanti sent a tentative thought to her newest guest. * _It seems I've absorbed all your memories, my brother. It seems only fair I give you access to mine, if we're going to share this body. Vuljotnaak ... he just settled in and seems to be asleep and uninterested. But you ... *_

 _*I thank you, Youngest Sister_.* There was a pause, and Shanti knew Mulventoor was searching her memories, but she felt nothing, and it ended quickly. * _Ah. He was newly resurrected, and so extremely weak. I was raised over a moon ago, and had time to feed, fly, and regain my strength. Unless you choose to force me under, I will remain myself for a very long time, at least in joor terms.*_

 _*That's not something I plan to do, at least until I know what's going to happen to the dovah souls I carry when I die. But this isn't the time for a philosophical discussion - I'm hungry!*_

 _*Then eat, Youngest Sister. Tinvaak can wait.*_

Shanti entered the dining room, making as much of a dramatic entrance as possible, smiling as she showed off her new armor. "How do you like it? Balimund did a great job, as usual."

"Very nice," S'Jherek said. "Though I hadn't expected your first set of regular Legion armor to be a Legate's."

"Neither did I, Dad. But I like it, even though I feel like I didn't really earn it. Though Mulventoor does."

"Who is Mulventoor?" Ko'Adanji asked.

Shanti sighed, taking her usual place at the table as Darius brought her meal. "It's a long story, Mums. Do you want it in time order, or by what I think is important?"

"Time order, please. Otherwise, we'll all get confused."

"Very true." Shanti took time for a few bites of Darius' excellent pheasant breast before she continued. "The Greybeards sent me to Ustengrav to retrieve a horn, and let me get another Rotmulaag, which led me to a surviving Blade, who wanted me to kill a dragon for her to prove I'm really Dragonborn."

"I can see at least three ballads there," Ko'Adanji said drily. "If you're willing to go into detail, that is. But keep going."

"Well, on the way, I had to stop at Morthal, where we rescued a couple of people, and killed a coven of vampires." Shanti paused to devour the rest of the first pheasant breast, and smiled with satisfaction. "After that, we went back to Whiterun, where Jarl Balgruuf offered me a house that was starting to be built between the old and new walls.

"I went back to High Hrothgar after that, and you must've heard the formal acknowledgement. Then back to Riverwood to meet what's probably the last of the Blades, who wanted me to kill a dragon for her." Shanti sighed. "I feel sorry for him. Vuljotnaak fought, but when he died, he ... gave up, and snuggled so deeply within me he may never emerge."

She'd been nibbling at the second pheasant breast as she spoke, and was surprised to find she'd finished it, someone replacing the plate with a dessert dish holding a sweetroll. She grinned at that, and ate half of it before continuing her story.

"When I got back to Whiterun, Jarl Balgruuf made me his Thane and gave me a housecarl, his niece Lydia. A couple of the Companions and the three of us went through Dustman's Cairn, which got me another Rotmulaag." She gave her mother a Look. "I'll go into that if you insist, Mums, but I'd really rather not. It was ... nasty."

"All right, darling. I'm curious, but I won't pry."

Shanti smiled, gratefully. "Thanks, Mums. I may tell you later, but right now, it's just too raw. Anyway, when we got back to Whiterun, I was inducted into the Companions. It was on the way back here that we ran into Mulventoor fighting a Legion squad. He lost while I was in range to ... take his soul, and he's still awake and aware. Unless I push him down, which I don't want to, he'll stay that way as long as I live."

Both her parents were silent for a bit, then Ko'Adanji sighed. "You do know Bards are going to compose songs and tell tales about all this ... and not just the professionals at the College, but every amateur who fancies themselves as having even a bit of talent. What gets sung and told may have only a vague resemblance to the truth."

"So what're you saying, Mums? That I ought to tell Professor Gemane the details? I'd rather not, but if you say I should ... "

"Mmm. Perhaps not, but at the very least, you should write it all down, in as much detail as possible, and start keeping a journal. You could give it to me or S'Jherek, to hold until you're comfortable with the College archiving it."

Shanti grimaced, but she had to admit her mother was right. If she wanted the record kept straight, she'd have to do it herself, in writing. "I suppose you know best, Mums. I'll write it down before I go to bed, and give it to you, then start a journal in the morning." She thought for a bit, and sighed. Much as she liked her privacy, for all practical purposes, she'd lost it as soon as the Greybeards had made her existence known throughout Tamriel.

"I wish I could keep the song and story writing to you, Mums," she said at last. "I know that's not going to happen, though, so I guess ... share it with the College after all. Maybe having an accurate record will keep some of the exaggeration down. But there'll be parts that shouldn't go public, I'm sure, until the participants are dead."

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Believe it or not, darling, even Bards can be discreet. Keep a complete journal, but mark things you want kept confidential. Giraud will restrict access to the journal itself, but have the parts you're willing to share copied and made available."

That was probably the best she could expect, so Shanti nodded. "I'd better start writing, then."


	12. Message to Whiterun

**Author's Notes:**

1\. There was a glitch with publishing Chapter 11 yesterday, so if you've asked for notifications and didn't get one for it, please back up to 11 and read it before reading this one.

2\. While the teleport spell is named after the Morrowind one, that version didn't allow others to accompany the teleporter, and Oblivion didn't have followers, so this version follows the Skyrim fast travel model: steed and followers can go along.

* * *

Chapter 12 - Message to Whiterun

Shanti hadn't quite finished her history the previous night, so she did the rest of it after breakfast, and gave it to her mother. "General Tullius said I should go up to the Blue Palace this morning and introduce myself to Jarl Elisif, so I guess I need to get that done before I head back to Whiterun."

"I'll go with you as far as the College," Ko'Adanji said. "Your father's going to alert your bodyguards to meet you at the stables."

"Good." Shanti and her mother chatted about nothing in particular as they left Castle Dour and walked to the College, with people making way for them. Murmurs of "Dragonborn" surrounded them, but nobody tried to approach, and Shanti licked her mother's cheek when they separated. "Don't let them compose anything too awful," she said.

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "I'll do my best, darling, but I can't make that kind of promise."

"I know, but ... oh, well." Shanti continued up the hill, leaving her mother to enter the College.

The guard at the Blue Palace's door bowed before opening it. "Welcome to the Blue Palace, Lady Dragonborn. Her Grace is in the Throne Room at the top of the stairs."

"Thank you." Shanti returned the bow, then entered the door he held open, and climbed the curved stairway. At the top, she glanced around, seeing two of Haafingar's Thanes - Erikur, unfortunately, one of them - Falk, Bolgeir, and Sybille Stentor, the Court Wizard, nearest the throne where the Jarl herself was seated.

As protocol required, it was the Steward, Falk Firebeard, she approached first. "I am Specialist-Legate Shanti Dragonborn, Thane of Whiterun," she said formally. "I understand Her Grace the Jarl wishes to see me."

"Indeed, Lady Dragonborn," Falk replied, only his eyes betraying amusement. Then he announced her. "Lady Shanti Dragonborn, to see Jarl Elisif the Fair as requested."

Shanti turned to the Throne to bow, but instead was surprised to see Elisif stand and step toward her, smiling. "I understand Haafingar owes you a debt, Lady Dragonborn, for killing a dragon that was menacing my Hold."

The tips of Shanti's ears heated with embarrassment. "That is ... not precisely accurate, my Jarl. Mulventoor was killed - or his body was - by Sergeant Corvanus Quentin and his squad. I was there when they did so, however, and ... I took his soul, permanently killing him."

"Modest, too." Elisif smiled again. "I'll make sure to do something for the Sergeant and his men. But keeping a dragon permanently dead is worthy of reward as well. I have room in my Court for a new Thane. It's an honorary title, mainly, but there are a few perks you might be able to make use of. You're well enough known to my people, if only as Dragonborn rather than personally as Shanti. While you don't own any property in Haafingar, since you're the Dragonborn, I choose to waive that requirement. By my right as Jarl. I name you Thane of Haafingar. Congratulations. I grant you this weapon to serve as your badge of office, and Jordis the Sword-Maiden as your housecarl."

She handed Shanti a mace with the purple flicker of a Conjuration spell, then continued. "If you decide to live in Haafingar, I grant you permission to purchase Proudspire Manor. I'll also notify my guards of your new titles. It would be highly improper for them to be less than respectful to a Thane, not to mention the Dragonborn."

Shanti bowed. "I thank you, my Jarl. That's most generous of you. I will definitely take you up on that offer, when I can afford it. Though given my current responsibilities, I probably won't spend much time there."

"Why go to the expense, then?" Thane Bryling asked curiously.

"To give my parents a nicer place than Married Officer Quarters in Castle Dour," Shanti replied. "And because of its central location, I'll probably make my personal headquarters in Whiterun. I've been given a suite in Dragonsreach until my house there is ready."

"That's a bit disappointing," Elisif said, "though I can certainly understand the advantages of a central location for one in your position. But I'd be pleased if you drop by for at least a brief visit whenever you're in town."

"I'd be glad to, Your Grace. For now, though, if I may be excused, I have a Legion mission of some urgency I need to carry out."

"You're excused, then," Elisif said with a smile.

* * *

To Shanti's surprise, she found Voranil and Bjorn sitting on a bench outside the Blue Palace instead of waiting for her at the stables. She was surprised again when Voranil grinned at her and winked.

She returned the grin, guessing at what he meant. "You got approval?"

"Yes - she wants to see you at your convenience. I told her you were eager, so she's waiting for you."

"Let's go!" So instead of the stables, they went to the Castle Dour Mage's Tower and climbed to the top.

When they got to a door with a permanent ward spell on it, Voranil told her, "You get to learn the spell, but only you. We'll be waiting downstairs."

They left, and Shanti knocked. The door was opened almost immediately, to reveal an elderly Altmer woman. "Come in, Dovahkiin, and be welcome. I'm Caranya, head of Skyrim's branch of the Shadow Legion."

Shanti followed her inside, and bowed. "Honored to meet you, Lady Caranya. I thank you for agreeing to my request."

Caranya seated herself at a desk - plain, but beautiful because of its wood and the grain pattern - and gestured Shanti to a chair beside it. "You understand why this spell is restricted?"

"Voranil didn't go into detail, just said it was considered a security problem. I can make a few guesses abut why from what little I've read of Morrowind - which is mostly stories of the Nerevarine."

"Then perhaps I should brief you on it first, especially since I'm going to be teaching you the enhanced version." She paused briefly. "The only limitation on this version is how many Marked locations you're able to remember. Otherwise, the location and distance are immaterial, and you can take along anyone who's touching you when you invoke the Recall part. Think about that for a moment, please, and tell me why it's a security threat."

Shanti considered her exact words, then said, "If location is immaterial, then ... I would say you can Mark anyplace you can get into, even briefly, and get back there any time you want." She shuddered. "So if, for instance, someone who knows this spell gets into, say, the Emperor's bedroom, His Majesty's life would be at serious risk."

"Yes, though there are a few exceptions. His Majesty's apartment is one; this office is another, since both are protected by permanent soul-gem-powered ward spells. But in general, you're quite accurate."

"Then, as useful as it would be, maybe you shouldn't teach me." Shanti started to rise and leave.

Caranya raised a hand to stop her. "We must trust Dovahkiin with Voice, so trusting you with a simple teleportation spell is nothing. And it is a very simple spell, the other reason it's restricted to the point of almost being forbidden. All I ask is that you not be seen using it, except by Voranil or a non-mage. Vor is ... cleared for the highest level of secrets, though I haven't taught even him this one."

"I will be most cautious," Shanti promised.

"Very well." Caranya handed her a thin notebook. "Memorize this, and you will be the only other person in the Empire - to the best of our knowledge - who knows this spell."

Having been taught by Bards, Shanti had a very well-trained memory, so it took her very little time to memorize the spell. "I have it, and thank you. Even if it took me only between High Hrothgar and Ivarstead, it would be most helpful, but with this version, it will be a tremendous help."

"Anything to help Dovahkiin," Caranya said. "I knew your most recent predecessor. He was a good ruler, if not always a nice man. And very romantic."

Shanti hid a chuckle. Yes, Tiber Septim had had a reputation for being a ladies' man. Was that why Caranya had called Voranil "Vor"? She wouldn't ask, but it was ... an interesting speculation. Well, at least she wouldn't ask Caranya ... Voranil was fair game, if he'd answer.

This time she wasn't stopped when she rose to leave.

* * *

She stopped at home long enough to Mark her bedroom, then the three went down to the stables, to find their horses already saddled. once they were on the road to Whiterun, Shanti turned to Voranil. "If it's not too personal, are you related to Lady Caranya?"

The Altmer groaned. "How did you guess? No, I'm pretty sure I know. She called me 'Vor', didn't she?"

"Ah ... yes. And I know most Altmer don't use nicknames, so ... "

"And I really wish she wouldn't. But yes, we're related. She's my great-grandmother. Can we drop this now?"

"Of course." Given the usual Altmer attitude toward racial purity and Caranya's discussion of Tiber Septim, she could almost understand his discomfort, and she wouldn't press him, so she changed the subject. "When we get to Dragonsreach, I'm going to Mark our suite, so we can get back there from wherever we happen to be, as long as you're both touching me when I cast Recall. I'm not going to use it just to get out of a difficult fight, though, since I need as much experience as I can get. If I'm hurt and you say we need to get out, yes ... but otherwise, no."

"Fair enough," Voranil agreed. "Modify that to Bjorn being badly hurt as well, though, since he can't self-heal as we can."

"Agreed, of course." Shanti turned to Bjorn. "Forgive me ... I forgot about you not having Healing."

"How about not enough magica to be detected?" Bjorn grinned. "There's a reason I carry a number of the strongest healing potions I can afford."

Shanti smiled. "Still, I apologize, fahdoni. We will remain in combat, then, until Voranil judges either you or me too injured to continue, then we return."

"That sounds good."

* * *

Shanti was more than a bit nervous about how she and her bodyguard would be received when they entered the Dragonsreach throne room in uniform, so she was surprised when Irileth smiled as they approached the throne, and Balgruuf's lips were twitching like he wanted to do the same. "What is it, Dragonborn?"

"An important message from General Tullius, my Jarl."

"No doubt requesting to garrison his men in my castle. How many times must I deny him? Well? Out with it."

"He has information that Ulfric Stormcloak has plans to attack Whiterun, though he doesn't know exactly when. There's more information in what he sent you, I'm certain, but that's all _I_ know." She handed him the message packet.

He opened it and read the contents, then scowled and handed it to Proventus. "Proventus, what do you make of all this? If Ulfric were to attack Whiterun..."

Proventus' reply made Shanti bristle. "As in all things, Lord, caution... I urge us to wait and see."

Irileth disagreed. "Prey waits."

Shanti took time to grin at her, fangs exposed. That sounded very Khajiit - or dovah - indeed.

Balgruuf frowned. "I'm of a mind with Irileth. It's time to act."

"You plan to march on Windhelm?" Proventus asked.

Balgruuf snorted. "I'm not a fool, Proventus. I mean it's time to challenge Ulfric to face me as a man, or to declare his intentions."

"He has Voice, my Jarl," Shanti pointed out. "You have no more defense against that than High King Torygg did. I wouldn't like to see you simply murdered."

Balgruuf studied her. "Then what would you recommend, Dragonborn? Bear in mind that my city and entire Hold are at stake."

"I'm fully aware of that, my Jarl. And I don't know what that packet included, because I was tasked to bring it here, only. I didn't read it. But General Tullius is a very good strategist and tactician, from everything I've heard about him while I was growing up at Castle Dour. Were I you, I'd go along with his recommendations."

Balgruuf stroked his beard thoughtfully, then stood. "So be it. Will you take my reply back to him? Then deliver my axe to Ulfric Stormcloak?"

"I'll do both, my Jarl, on two conditions."

"And those are?"

"That between the two, I may carry out a mission for Legate Rikke, which will give General Tullius time to move his forces into position. And that I'm allowed to help protect you and Whiterun when the Stormcloaks attack."

Balgruuf chuckled. "Both granted, Dragonborn. And do be here for the attack - we're going to need every able body to defend Whiterun."

"I'll be here, my Jarl. You have my word on that."

Shanti took the time to go up to her suite in Dragonsreach, and cast a Mark spell in the living room, then went back downstairs to wait for Balgruuf's reply to be completed. When he returned he handed it to her - an elaborate vellum envelope with his seal in gilt wax. "I'm still not sure this is the right thing to do, Dragonborn ... but I have to trust you."

Shanti bowed. "I thank you for that, my Jarl."

Back upstairs, she had the other two take her hands and cast Recall for her bedroom in Solitude.

There was a second of disorientation, then she grinned as she recognized where she was and purred loudly. "It worked!"

"Yes, it did." Voranil smiled. "So, shall we go to Headquarters and deliver Balgruuf's letter?"

"Yes. I need to find out what assignment Rikke has for me, too."

* * *

When Shanti handed the General the letter with Balgruuf's reply, he wasted no time opening and reading it. Then he gave her a look of disbelief. "I was expecting at best a grudging agreement to send a few squads - but he's given me a free hand. I don't know how you did it, Dovahkiin, but this is a major contribution to the war effort."

He turned to one of his officers. "Cipius, take the First and Fourth Centuries. Reinforce our camp, station some in the city itself, and put a troop of heavy cavalry at Fort Greymoor."

"Yes, sir!" Legate Cipius was grinning as he left the war room.

Shanti turned to Rikke. "The General says you have an assignment for me?"

Rikke nodded. "Ulfric's right-hand man, Galmar Stonefist, has located what he believes is the final resting place of the Jagged Crown. We're going to make sure he doesn't get his hands on it. The rest of my men are already assembling outside Korvanjund. I'll meet you there as soon as I finish up here."

The Jagged Crown? Shanti had heard of it, but not much more than the name. "I'm not as familiar with that as I should be," she admitted. "Can you tell me a bit about it?"

"It's a legendary crown, dating back to King Harald's time, back in the First Era, or maybe before. It's a powerful relic of a golden age, long since passed. Legend has it that the crown is made from the bones and teeth of ancient dragons, and is said to increase the power of the wearer. Whatever the truth, if Ulfric gets his hands on it, it would be a powerful symbol around which to rally support for his cause. Whoever gets hold of it will gain legitimacy with the population."

"If we know where it is, why don't we have it already?"

Rikke grimaced. "Because the information's new. I only recently got a report from my agents that Galmar's convinced King Borgas, its last owner, is buried there. If Galmar's convinced, that's good enough for me. I want you to rendezvous with the rest of the men outside Korvanjund. Don't wait for me; I'll meet you there."

"Yes, Legate."


	13. The Jagged Crown

Author's Note: Apologies for any extra typos. I forgot yesterday to send this to Cyclone Sword for a final proofreading, so they are totally mine.

* * *

Chapter 13 - The Jagged Crown

Since their horses were in the Whiterun stable, Shanti teleported herself and her bodyguards to their Dragonsreach apartment. "Hmm," she said, as something occurred to her. "I think I should have found a place outside the city to Mark. I'll do that, too, but for now ... we need to get outside Dragonsreach without anyone asking how we got in without being seen."

Voranil chuckled. "How are you at moving quietly? Bjorn's a scout, so he's good at sneaking."

"I can't claim the same, but I can be quiet, yes. You have an idea?"

"I certainly do. Farengar has both alchemy and enchanting labs, and I'm sure ingredients he wouldn't mind me using on your behalf. So you and Bjorn wait here while I go down there under an invisibility spell, then wait until I have enough privacy to make a couple of long-lasting invisibility potions. I'll bring them back for you two, and we'll sneak out invisibly."

"Yes, that should work. But leave money for any ingredients you use, please."

"If you want," Voranil agreed. "I'll leave payment wherever he keeps his ingredients. I'll be back shortly."

When Voranil left, Bjorn turned to Shanti. "A Khajiit who doesn't know how to sneak? You're kidding me, aren't you?"

"Well, it would probably be more accurate to say I haven't had any training in it. I think all children, not just Khajiit, self-teach at least a little."

"Then I need to start teaching you. A good adventurer needs sneak skills at least as much as a scout or thief does - it's a lot easier and safer to sneak up on a bandit or necromancer, for example, and do a take-out rather than a face-to-face fight. If you can do it to a vampire, even better."

"True. All right. Is there anything you can teach me before Voranil returns?"

"Not much, but ... never whisper. That attracts attention. If you're going to be with a regular team, work out a touch system, or something similar. If you have to talk, just speak as quietly as you can. And for night camouflage, never use pure black. It's less obvious than a light color, sure, but people can still distinguish it, unless you're some place there's no light at all.. Use dark gray, or even better, something mottled in dark colors."

"Really? I wouldn't have expected either."

"Really," Bjorn promised. "When we're in the right conditions, I'll demonstrate."

"No need; I believe you. I'm just surprised."

* * *

When Voranil returned, he was carrying two potion vials. "Drink up - then I'll re-cast my spell, and we'll go."

They made it as far as the Dragonsreach main door before becoming visible when Voranil opened the door. Fortunately no one was around to see them leave, and they made it part-way down the stairs before Shanti realized something was missing. She stopped a guard who was on the way up. "Where is Brother Heimskr?"

"House arrest," the guard replied. "Now that we're going Imperial officially, Jarl Balgruuf had him placed in protective custody. It's no guarantee, but he figures if Heimskr's already under arrest, the damn Thalmor are less likely to haul him to one of their torture centers like Northwatch Keep."

"Ah. That makes sense." Shanti wasn't all that fond of Heimskr - or his shouted sermons, at least - but he was a priest, and didn't deserve what rumor said happened to Thalmor prisoners. Not that anyone did, at least not for something as harmless as worshiping a Divine the Thalmor refused to recognize. Not that they'd care anything about her opinion.

Still, they had to get to Korvanjund for that Jagged Crown, so she put the Thalmor out of her mind. The trip wasn't a long one, with Korvanjund just north-northeast of Whiterun; less than an hour after stopping at the stable for their horses, they were dismounting and handing their reins to a young trooper.

Rikke was speaking to a soldier when they walked up. "What's the situation, Sergeant?"

"Stormcloaks were already camped out around the entrance when we got here, ma'am," the soldier replied. "They don't know we're here yet, though."

"Well, that's something at least." She noticed Shanti's group and smiled. "Good to see you three. It looks like the damned rebels got here first, though. No matter, we have the element of surprise. Prepare to move out. Are you ready?"

"We are," Shanti said.

"Good." Rikke gave her troops a brief pep talk, then led the attack on the Stormcloaks who'd been keeping watch. When the brief battle was over, she led the way to the door, then stopped and turned to her troops. "Well done. They never knew what hit them. But don't underestimate the Stormcloaks. Many are Legion veterans. They may be traitors, but they know how to fight. We had the advantage of surprise this time, but don't expect it to 're here in force. Stick close and follow orders so we don't stir up the whole place against us. Let's move out."

"A moment, please?" Shanti said.

Rikke frowned briefly, but replied politely.. "What is it, Dragonborn?"

"If I'm to be of much use, I need to go in with you, not behind everyone. My most powerful Shout is an area-effect one."

"Very well. Let's go, then." They entered, followed by the rest, and Rikke went into sneak mode. Carefully, they made their way toward the patrolling Stormcloaks. "Can you do anything with these?" she asked softly.

Shanti nodded, then took a deep breath. "Now?"

"Yes. We're ready."

Shanti straightened. "Fus ... Ro DAH!"

Several of the Stormcloaks staggered back, and the Legionnaires charged.

When the battle and looting were over, Rikke pointed to a pair of Legionnaires. "You two, stay and guard the entrance. We don't want any Stormcloak reinforcements taking us by surprise. Everyone else, with me."

The rest continued, Shanti listening with amusement to some of the conversation behind her. She didn't know these Legionnaires, so it was impossible for her to identify them by voice.

"So that's the Dragonborn. I'd heard it was a Khajiit, but she's so small, and doesn't look old enough to be in regular uniform! Oblivion, she looks like a Nord kid could take her without breaking a sweat."

"Yeah - an' in a purely physical fight, maybe so. Though weight-for-weight, Khajiit are pretty strong, even their women, an' don't forget those claws an' teeth."

Another one snorted. "Always remember the claws and teeth, yeah. And they're fast, too, and more flexible than we are. Never get in an unarmed brawl with one, even on a bet, 'cause natural weapons don't count."

"Still, she _is_ small, and furry, and cute," the first said. "And one of us. She's _our_ Dragonborn."

"Hmm ... " Yet another one spoke. "I've got an idea, but I need paper and charcoal, so later."

"Yes, later," Rikke said. "Keep it down, men. We haven't emptied this place yet."

They kept going until they got to a long room with carved walls and a puzzle door at the far end.

Rikke and two soldiers gathered around something on the floor, and Shanti approached curiously as one of the soldiers asked, "What in the Nine Holds is that?"

"Is this what killed that Stormcloak over there?" the other soldier asked. "Can't be. It looks like it's been dead for a hundred years."

"It can, and probably is," Shanti said. "That's a draugr, undead who protect Dragon Priests and some rulers. I've run into them a couple of times now. One of the ones I faced could Shout."

"Steady now," Rikke said reassuringly, as the soldiers muttered nervously. "The Legion has faced down worse than a few dusty old bonewalkers. We're not leaving here until we get what we came for. Now let's keep moving." She turned to Shanti. "And this place must be the Hall of Stories."

"Oh... I've heard of this," the first soldier said. "These walls are supposed to show the history of the ancients who built this place."

"Too bad we can't read these carvings. Who knows what secrets we'd uncover?" the other said.

"One thing at a time soldier," Rikke said, sounding amused. "Focus on our primary mission. We're searching for the crown. Looks like we weren't the first ones here, either. Even if these carvings tell us where the crown is, I'm sure we're going to have to find a way through this door. Any ideas, Dragonborn?"

"Yes. We'll need to find something that looks like a dragon's clawed foot. It's actually the key to that puzzle door."

One of the soldiers bent over the Stormcloak's body, and straightened with something black in his hand. "Is this it?"

Shanti took it and nodded. "Thank you - now let's get to the door." She looked at the claw's palm and moved the rings into position, then inserted the key. When it slid open, Shanti went down a short tunnel, looked around, then gestured a halt and signaled a return to the Hall of Stories, where she reported to Rikke.

"Ah, we have a bit of a problem, ma'am," she said. "That room is full of draugr sarcophagi, and there's one wearing a crown on a throne at the far end. I think Battlemage Voranil, Sergeant Bjorn, and I should go in alone, first. Voranil can cast runes in front of at least some of the sarcophagi, and I can get as close as possible to the head draugr and use Fire Breath on him. Draugr are pretty flammable ... "

"As you say, Dragonborn," Rikke said. "We'll stay out till you start Shouting, or we hear runes going off."

"Thanks." Shanti and Voranil, followed by Bjorn, entered the draugr chamber as quietly as they could, and Voranil began casting runes, more quietly than he had in Dustman's Cairn, and more quietly than she would have believed possible.

She approached the crowned draugr cautiously, watching for the slightest movement. She was within ten feet when she saw it start to twitch, and she Shouted with all the intensity she could manage as it stood. "YOL!"

Fire Breath turned out to be a great deal more powerful than her Flames spell, igniting the dessicated thing and making it stagger back. By the time it recovered, she and Bjorn were attacking it with their swords while it defended itself with an ancient style of battle-axe.

Behind them, she heard but paid no attention to runes exploding, war cries, the clash of weapons, screams of pain. She and Bjorn were far too busy defending themselves from the crowned draugr and going on offense wherever possible. Eventually the combination of burning "flesh" and sword cuts brought it down, and Shanti dove to grab the Crown, knowing Bjorn would have her back.

By the time she rose with it in her hands, she heard the familiar chanting of a Word Wall, and followed the sound behind the throne. A chest there held some nice loot, but the Wall was glowing, and as she got closer, TIID moved into her mind, and she purred.

"What is it?" Bjorn asked. "Defensive, offensive, or what?"

"What," Shanti told him. "It's the first word of Slow Time, which can be used either way. But I think we need to get back to the battle scene ... they may need healing, which I can do even though I'm no expert."

"Sounds like a damn useful Shout," Bjorn said. "But yeah, sounds like healing's needed."

When they returned to the main room, Shanti with the Jagged Crown under her arm, Rikke let out a very uncharacteristic whoop, and joined her with a grin. "Take that crown back to Solitude right away, please. We'll stay here and see if we can find anything else that could be of use."

"It looks like you could use some help with healing the wounded first," Shanti said. "Especially since Voranil will be going with me."

"Yes, but it's vital that Crown be taken to safety." It looked to Shanti like Rikke was torn between her duty to her troops and her mission. "Okay, half an hour. Then you leave."

"Yes, ma'am." Shanti handed Bjorn the Crown, then began treating the wounded.

* * *

Remembering their problems with getting out of Dragonsreach undetected, Shanti elected to teleport to her outside-Whiterun location, retrieve their horses, and ride to Solitude, then find an outside-the-city location there before going to Castle Dour the conventional way. By the time they arrived, it was after dark, but there were enough torches along the way that getting to the city wasn't a problem.

Almost as soon as they entered the gates, two men in odd robes and grotesque masks approached.

"You there! You're the one they call Dragonborn?" one asked.

"Yes, I am Dragonborn," Shanti replied.

"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver," her questioner said. "The True Dragonborn comes... You are but his shadow."

"When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!" the other shouted, and both drew their swords.

Shanti drew hers, as well, but by the time it cleared the scabbard, Voranil had hit both with lightning bolts, and several Solitude guardsmen were surrounding the bodies with swords drawn. "Search the bodies," their leader ordered. "They may have something that'll tell us why they'd attack the Dragonborn."

His men obeyed, two of them stooping to do a thorough search. It wasn't long before one stood and handed the senior guardsman a folded piece of paper. He read it, then handed it to Shanti.

"Board the vessel _Northern Maiden_ docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search. Kill the False Dragonborn known as Shanti before she reaches Solstheim.

"Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased."

Huh. Miraak was the First Dragonborn that Mulventoor had suggested she face as a test to see if she were ready for Alduin. "These failed, but there may be others. At least now we know what to beware of."

"We'll keep an eye out, too," the guardsman said. "I'll pass the word on to our commander."

"And I'll tell General Tullius," Shanti said. "I'm on my way to see him anyway."

"Thanks. And we'll get these bodies to the Hall of the Dead."

Shanti and her bodyguards continued into the castle, finding General Tullius, as usual, in the war room. She gave a brief account of the encounter with the cultists, then handed him the Jagged Crown.

He smiled. "Excellent work, Legate. I have to admit, I had my doubts it even existed. Did you run into any any trouble?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle, though the Stormcloaks were already there."

"Well, I didn't respond as quickly to Legate Rikke's suggestion as perhaps I should have. But at least we ended up with the damn crown. I'll get the full report from her when she returns. What do you have planned next?"

"Jarl Balgruuf has asked me to take his axe to Jarl Ulfric," Shanti replied.

"He knows what to expect, or he wouldn't have invited us to move Imperial forces in," Tullius said thoughtfully. "But I suppose the formalities must be observed. Go ahead. Given the distances involved, that'll give me another week to get everything ready."

"Yes, sir. We'll start in the morning."


	14. To Windhelm

+.

Chapter 14 - To Windhelm

When they set out the next morning, Shanti and Bjorn were in civilian armor. Voranil wore his usual robes, but without rank markings. Legion gear would be fine as far as Riverwood, but once they got over the Rift hold border, they'd be in Stormcloak territory, and Legion gear would get them attacked.

They were about an hour out of Solitude when Shanti chuckled. "So far, that teleport spell hasn't done us much good, has it? Having to sneak out of Dragonsreach, then needing to get our horses back to Solitude ... "

"Well, you've only got a few marks set," Voranil pointed out. "And you know now to set most town points outside the walls - or city limits - in concealed locations. As you add more, they'll become more useful. Particularly, as you said, once you get one set at High Hrothgar. I gather you'll be going there during our stop at Ivarstead?"

"Yes, and the Greybeards say you two can come with me from now on. If you want to, of course."

"Try and stop us!" Bjorn said with a chuckle. "I've been wanting to make the pilgrimage for years, and now I don't have to take leave to do it!"

"And unlike most pilgrims, you'll be allowed inside the monastery. Only Master Arngeir will be able to say anything with you around, though. He's the only one with the control to do it safely."

"But you're safe to talk to. How can you do something only the most powerful of the Greybeards can manage?"

Shanti shrugged. "I was born with it. It's no virtue on my part, any more than any of the rest of being Dovahkiin. What he had to work hard for, I got as a gift."

"Still, that gift comes with serious responsibility," Voranil pointed out. "Master Arngeir had to work for his Voice, but he doesn't have to face Alduin."

"He'd be too old anyway," Shanti said. "And I'm barely of age to be in the Legion, not at full physical strength yet - but I might be by the time I'm actually ready to face him. I just hope this war ends soon, and the next one doesn't start until I'm trained and have beaten Alduin."

"Now that Balgruuf's chosen sides," Voranil said, "I'm pretty sure it won't last a great deal longer. Theoretically it's only a small shift in the power balance, but it gives us one more city than the Stormcloaks have, and the most strategically significant. Of course, Ulfric will try to re-take it as soon as he can get troops into position, and I'm betting that's going to be a ... difficult battle."

"Not that there's really any such thing as an easy battle," Bjorn added. "It's just that some are worse than others."

"So my father's told me. Not that he's been in many since General Tullius came to Skyrim and chose Dad as chief of his personal guard. For which I am extremely grateful!"

"Which, the lack of battles or his position?" Bjorn asked, his tone teasing.

"Both, of course!" Shanti purred. "I was twelve, or almost, when the General came here and chose Dad because he wanted someone who knew the Nords, but wasn't one himself. And I can't prove it - he's never said - but I think he likes Khajiiti. Either that or Darius' cooking, because he comes over for supper at least twice a month."

"How about 'both' again?" Voranil said. "I know for a fact he does like Khajiiti, and anyone with a sense of taste likes Darius' cooking. He sends something every time there's a celebration, and there's never any of his contribution left. Rumor has it he studied with The Gourmet."

"Well, he does have an autographed copy of _The Expanded and Annotated Uncommon Taste_ ," Shanti said. "He's never mentioned studying with him, at least that I can remember, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"Or anyone else. How did your father get him as a housecarl, if that's not prying?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I think they fought some sort of rear-guard battle together, during the Great War, but neither one wants to discuss it."

"Almost none want to," Voranil said grimly. "Divines know, I'd rather not."

"Sorry, didn't mean to bring back bad memories." Shanti hastened to apologize, then changed the subject. "I know I need to find as many Rotmulagge as I can before I face Alduin, but what else would you two suggest, beyond normal Legion training?"

"Learning how to sneak well, as I think I mentioned earlier," Bjorn replied. "I'll teach you what I can, but I'm no master, myself, just a very good scout. To train with experts or masters, you'd need to check out either the Thieves Guild in Riften or the Dark Brotherhood. Though that group comes to you, if you attract their attention; you don't find them. For obvious reasons."

Shanti made a face. "I'd rather not associate with either of them, thanks very much. I have absolutely no interest in being either a thief or an assassin."

Voranil chuckled. "Maybe my ideas would be a bit more palatable. I think you ought to spend some time at the College of Winterhold, once that hold's been re-taken. Your basic spells are good, but you could stand some training in them, and a bit of conjuration, enchanting, and alchemy would come in handy."

"Conjuration and enchanting I understand, but why alchemy? Can't I just buy any potions I need?"

"Sure, usually, but it's always handy to be able to make at least basic potions when you can't buy, for whatever reason. Like the invisibility potions I made to get you and Bjorn out of Dragonsreach."

Shanti winced. "You've made your point. I concede."

* * *

It was getting near suppertime when they got to Whiterun and dropped their horses off at the stable, then walked into the city. "Bannered Mare or Dragonsreach to eat?" Shanti asked.

"I'm not feeling formal, so could we go to the Mare?" Bjorn said.

As they neared the city's largest inn, though, Bjorn stopped, seeming to listen. "I've changed my mind. Let's go up to Dragonsreach. And hope they don't have a bard on duty."

"What? Why?" Shanti asked.

"It seems one of the Legionnaires with us on that Korvanjund assault thinks he's a bard, and ... well, he wrote a song about you. It's not all that good, but I'm afraid it's becoming popular, and ... it's being sung in there. Loudly."

Shanti groaned. "Divines preserve me from amateur Bards! The students are bad enough, and at least they've been screened for Bardic abilities."

So they headed up to Dragonsreach, for a meal and some rest.

* * *

They set off early the next day, after checking with Legate Cipius and finding that Tullius' preparations were well in hand, and the Legion had found and exterminated a camp of Stormcloaks just beyond Honningbrew Meadery. "Good thing, too," Cipius had added. "Bastards had catapults rigged to throw fire. It was the catapults got burned, instead of the city."

Shanti was surprised at how good she felt about that. Was she starting to adopt Whiterun as home, instead of Solitude? It was smaller and more intimate, which was nice, but it seemed strange. She didn't even have a permanent residence!

The ride to Ivarstead was an easy one, in late summer weather, and it was still early enough when they arrived to start the climb to High Hrothgar.

"What can we expect on the way up?" Voranil asked.

"Aside from cold and snow? Well, on my first trip, aside from seeing a number of goats, I was attacked by a couple of wolves. I thought I smelled a troll about halfway to the monastery, but I didn't see anything. Last time, I didn't see anything but the goats."

They were undisturbed until they neared the spot where Shanti had scented a troll on her first trip - and this time it was there, charging as soon as it caught sight of them. Fire was the only thing that had much effect on trolls, especially frost trolls like this one, so Shanti Shouted, "Yol!" while Voranil shot fireballs at it. It kept coming, though, and knocked her down, into a snowdrift. By the time she got to her feet, Bjorn was down, and Voranil's fireballs were less frequent.

Shanti Shouted again, then started shooting flames from both hands, concentrating on the troll's face. Voranil must have taken time to swallow a magica potion, because his fireballs strengthened as Shanti's flames began to subside. She did the same, and with her third Shout, the troll, blinded, stumbled toward the edge of the trail, and Shanti took advantage of her strogest Shout to push it over with Unrelenting Force and send it crashing down the mountain, its fur ablaze.

That freed her to go to Bjorn, who was trying to get to his feet while protecting his right arm with his left. Shanti helped him up, then asked, "How bad?"

"Damn thing broke my arm," Bjorn said, his breath catching. "I think compound - feels like blood under the vambrace. Hurts like Oblivion."

"Let's get it off, then." Shanti undid the straps holding his right vambrace on, then carefully removed it. Bjorn was right; she could see bone sticking through the skin. This was beyond her skill, but Voranil joined them as she was trying to think of anything she could do.

"That's going to have to be set before we start healing," he said, reaching into his pack and opening a potion vial. "Let's get into the cave over there, then you drink that. It'll knock you out for maybe ten minutes, and I'll set it, then use some healing magic, while you're unconscious."

"Let's do it." When they made it into the cave, Bjorn drank the potion, and the other two eased him to the ground.

"Divines bless the alchemist who developed that potion," Voranil said as he knelt beside the Nord, pulling on the arm to get the bone back under the flesh, then using telekinesis to align the broken ends. "Makes it a lot more comfortable for the patient who needs more than ordinary healing, and lets the healer work more quickly and surely."

Once the bone was aligned to his satisfaction, he cast a strong healing spell, then turned to Shanti. "What about you? Did it do any damage when that thing knocked you down?"

"Knocked the breath out of me, but otherwise, no worse than maybe a few bruises. I was lucky it knocked me into a snowbank instead of the mountainside." She made a face. "I'll be glad when I find the other two words of Fire Breath. With all three, I might've been able to stop it the first time. Or maybe I should've tried to throw it back with Fus, then used Yol."

"You can try that next time, I suppose. I doubt this is the only troll we'll be running into."

Bjorn was waking by then, and Voranil said, "How are you feeling now?"

"A bit groggy, but otherwise back to normal. Thanks, Cap - uh, Voranil." He stood, put on the vambrace Shanti had removed earlier, and grinned. "I'm ready, except for my sword. I lost it when the troll broke my arm."

"You'll need to take a Cure Disease potion as soon as you can, in case of infection," Voranil said. "We didn't have anything distilled to clean the wound with before I set the bone."

Bjorn grinned, then rummaged in his pack and swallowed a potion. "No healing, so lots of potions," he reminded them. "Now, about my sword?"

"We'll see if we can find it before we head up," Shanti said.

What they found, though, was the sword's unusable remains, bent and with the hilt snapped off. "Damn," Bjorn said mildly. "I liked that sword. It balanced perfectly for me, and ... well, I'm not too fond of being essentially unarmed."

Shanti drew her sword and extended the hilt to him. "Use mine until we get somewhere we can replace yours, then. I have Voice, magic, and a very nice glass dagger Jarl Balgruuf gave me for reporting Alduin's return."

Bjorn took it with a nod, and sheathed it. "Thanks, Dovahkiin."

* * *

At High Hrothgar, Shanti led the other two inside. Master Arngeir had been kneeling in meditation, but rose when he heard the door, and rose to greet them. "Welcome back, Dovahkiin. These two would be the bodyguards you mentioned?"

"Yes, Master." She introduced them, and he greeted them as well.

They returned his greetings, then Arngeir turned to Shanti. "What can we do for you today, Dovahkiin?"

"First, if I may, permit me to establish a teleport point nearby. I can foresee, even without precognition, that I'll be visiting here often, and I'd really rather not have to climb the Seven Thousand Steps every time. Especially after running into a troll halfway here, this time!"

"A troll?" Arngeir looked surprised. "Paarthurnax usually keeps anything more dangerous than wolves frightened away. You weren't hurt, I hope."

"I wasn't, but it broke Bjorn's arm and cost him his sword."

"Unfortunate, but the young man appears well enough now. And as for your teleport mark, certainly. Here in this hall, if you wish; the climate here isn't exactly welcoming for Khajiiti, even in frost-resistant armor."

"Thank you, Master." Shanti took immediate advantage of that offer to Mark the entrance hall, then said, "I've been following your advice, to find and use Rotmulagge. I wonder if you've gotten clues to any more?"

"Indeed we have. Try Sunderstone Gorge; it seems to be ... it's hard to say. But I sense it will be valuable to you. Is there anything else?"

"Geh, In Arngeir. I wish to use Thu'um to pray, as you do, but I don't understand how to use it for anything but combat."

Arngeir looked at her in what seemed to be astonishment, then smiled. "It isn't difficult, my daughter, especially since you're already fluent in Dovahzul. You remember what you were taught about meditation?"

"Of course."

"Then go into meditation trance. If you wish to speak to a particular Divine, the normal way is to concentrate on His or Her name, and mention your concern, either silently or in a whisper. If you have no specific or urgent petitions, or are open to any contact, simple praise, or even tinvaak, are fine." He paused. "Preferably in Dovahzul. So few of us know it that it's very likely to attract Their attention. Unfortunately, that applies to the Daedric divinities as well, and occasionally one of the least hostile will speak to you, outside their normal realms."

"I'll take that chance, as you obviously do." Shanti smiled. "Thank you for all that, In Arngeir."

"You are most welcome. I expect to see you often, Dovahkiin."

* * *

They spent the night at the Vilemyr Inn, heading for Windhelm the next morning. It wasn't quite as pleasant weather, with more of a chill in the air, and it was almost a full day's ride, what with stopping for meals and watering the horses. Eventually, though, they arrived at Windhelm, leaving their horses at the stables as usual, and walked across the wide Harbor Bridge to the city gates, where they were initially denied entrance, Voranil for being an elf, Shanti for being a cat.

The ride and now the denial had Shanti in a bad mood, so she growled at the guards. "I am Shanti Dragonborn, Thane of Whiterun, on Jarl Balgruuf the Greater's business. Open your gates, or lose them."

" _That_ is the Dragonborn?" one of the guards asked.

"Well, Jarl Ulfric is unhappy that it's Khajiit, so maybe," the other replied dubiously.

"Would you like me to prove it?" Shanti asked. "Admit me, or I will enter the hard way. My Jarl has a message I am to deliver, and I _will_ do so."

Voranil started to caution her to be more diplomatic, but then grinned instead. "Oh, please, do try to keep us out. I haven't seen her destroy very much yet. It ought to be entertaining."

"Damn elf," one of the guards muttered, but he made a hand signal to someone on the ground, and the gates opened.

Shanti entered, and politely thanked them. "Will one of you take us to Jarl Ulfric, please?"

Both looked unhappy, but one nodded. "Come with me, cat. His Grace may be willing to see you."

Shanti followed him, concealing her amusement, and when she was led into the Palace of the Kings, managed to retain her composure as they were announced.

"The claimed Dragonborn, Shanti of Solitude, Thane of Whiterun, to see Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, true High King of Skyrim!" his chamberlain proclaimed, interrupting a discussion between Ulfric and Galmar.

Ulfric looked at her for several seconds before speaking. "Drem yol lok, Shanti of Solitude. Why are you here?"

"Drem yol lok, Jarl Ulfric," Shanti replied. "I bring a message from Jarl Balgruuf the Greater." She approached the throne, offering Balgruuf's axe.

"That's quite unnecessary," he said, his expression grim. "You may return his axe. Your mission was wasted, since I already know you've both chosen the wrong side. And tell him he should prepare to entertain ... visitors. I expect a great deal of excitement in the city of Whiterun in the near future."

"You're going to let her go?" Galmar growled.

"Of course. She came here as a messenger, which took considerable courage. I'll not dishonor myself by keeping her from returning with my answer, though it would probably be more prudent to imprison her. However, she has a job to do, one that requires she remain free." He looked at her thoughtfully. "But tell me, Dovahkiin, why the Empire? Just because you were born to it?"

"Isn't that enough? I'd ask instead why you betrayed it, after fighting for it?"

"It was the Emperor who betrayed it! Signing that Divines-cursed Concordat, banning the worship of Talos, letting the Thalmor roam everywhere, building influence. They'll again seek to rule the world. We must ready ourselves to fight them. For it will be Skyrim that leads Tamriel in those dark days, when the fate of the world is finally determined. To do that, I have to unite Skyrim under a strong High King, not a weakling like Torygg, and rebuild it to fight them."

"A strong and united Skyrim is needed, we can agree on that - but Skyrim can't defeat the Aldmeri Dominion by itself! That will take all of what's left of the Empire, and hopefully an alliance with Hammerfell, and even then it won't be a sure thing." Shanti paused. "Tell me, Jarl Ulfric. Are you fighting for Skyrim's welfare, or simply to become her High King?"

Ulfric studied her. "They are the same thing, Dragonborn. I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breaths. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight for my people impoverished to pay the debts of an Empire too weak to rule them, yet brands them criminals for wanting to rule themselves! I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing. I fight... because I must."

"Very eloquent, and I can respect that. But everything I know tells me you're at best misled, and your rebellion is a terrible, bloody mistake. For the sake of those you say you're fighting for, give it up."

Ulfric sighed. "I can't, not any longer. Young and naive as you are, you should be able to see that. You'd be wise to stay out of politics as much as you can, Shanti of Solitude. Stick to the dragonslaying only you can do. Now get back to Whiterun and return Balgruuf's axe. I have a war to run."

Shanti bowed and they left the Palace of the Kings, heading back across the Harbor Bridge toward the stables. Bjorn finally broke the silence. "Condescending bastard!"

"Arrogant, too," Voranil agreed. "To think Skyrim alone could take on and defeat the Dominion, when most Nords scorn magic and have no idea how to defend against it."

"He was right about one thing, though," Shanti said. "We do need to get back to Whiterun as quickly as we can. I hate to leave our horses here, but with speed being essential, we need to teleport."

"Well, you can teleport us along with you," Bjorn said. "Maybe if we're mounted, the horses would go along, too."

"You know, that actually makes sense," Voranil said. "It's worth a try, at least."

"All right - I really don't want to lose Golden Rainbow, and I'm pretty sure the Legion wouldn't be happy about losing two horses to the Stormcloaks. If it doesn't work, at least they should return to the stable."

Once they were mounted and out of sight, Shanti took her bodyguards' hands and cast the spell to take them outside Whiterun.

She wasn't certain whether she should be more gratified or surprised when it worked. They dropped the horses off at the stables, then went into the city and up to Dragonsreach.


	15. Battle for Whiterun

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Chapter 15 - Battle for Whiterun

As soon as Shanti and her bodyguards entered Dragonsreach, they were directed up to the war room, where she approached Balgruuf and silently extended the axe.

He took it and put it on his belt. "You've returned with my axe. I knew that would be his response. So did he say anything we might find useful?"

"Not really, but I expect he'll be coming as fast as he can get his troops moving."

"According to our spies and scouts, they already are," Legate Cipius said. "It started about the time we figured he'd have learned about Jarl Balgruuf agreeing to allow Imperial forces here. Stormcloak forces are moving in from Windhelm and Riften both. We did clean out their main Whiterun encampment east of White River Watch and south of the Ritual Stone, as well as the smaller one with the catapults. We've got barricades across the road, with mages keeping watch, but that's unlikely to slow them down, and it isn't meant to. It's so the mages can alert us to when they get there, a known distance away."

"Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing at the moment, except get some rest and do whatever you need to get ready for battle. When we get the alert on the Stormcloak forces, I'd like you to join Rikke at the drawbridge and ... do whatever a Dragonborn does."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

It was two days later that the mage-lights from the deadline brought everyone to alert. Shanti joined Rikke, as instructed, just in time to hear the more experienced Legate's talk to the troops.

",This is it, men! This is an important day for the Empire and for the Legion. And for all of Skyrim. This is the day we send a message to Ulfric Stormcloak and the rebel Jarls who support him. But make no mistake. What we do here today, we do for Skyrim and her people. By cutting out the disease of this rebellion, we will make this country whole again! Ready now! Everyone, with me! For the Empire! For the Legion!"

Her speech got a loud cheer, but Shanti didn't take part. To her, such things seemed foolish, even though they did seem to affect the troops positively, so she didn't say anything. Instead, she took her assigned position atop the wall above the drawbridge, the best vantage to shoot and Shout from, when the enemy got close enough to raise the bridge.

It was difficult not to fidget, but she knew better than to let her nervousness show. She'd fought before, certainly, but this was her first major battle. It was also the first one where she'd had to wait for the fight to come to her, rather than her going to it.

At least she'd been at the planning sessions, so she knew what was going on, which helped. Most of the Imperial forces were here in the city, but some would meet the Stormcloak forces near their former camp, and more near the stables. Heavy cavalry concealed near where the catapults had been destroyed would help in that, and there were more at the Western Watchtower to attack the rear of the main Stormcloak forces when they reached the city. Or at least that was what was supposed to happen if everything went well. Which, she had to admit, wasn't all that likely.

Time dragged for what seemed like hours, but the sun had barely moved when she heard distant sounds of combat. Those grew closer, and she knew the battle had reached the stables when she heard a warhorn sound the charge, followed by the thunder of hooves. She glanced around, to see archers on the city walls firing at approaching Stormcloaks, then ducking behind battlements to avoid return fire.

Then Legionnaires began coming around the corner, fighting to beat Stormcloaks to the drawbridge. This was where she came in for the first time. Most of the Legionnaires made it across, and she used her Unrelenting Force Shout to clear the far end of the drawbridge before any Stormcloaks could use it.

Her Shout was the signal to begin raising the drawbridge, and she sent flames along with the archers' arrows to keep them away until the far end was too high to jump to, then she changed her aim to whoever got close enough, now dodging arrows and the occasional fireball herself. There was another warhorn call, and the second troop of cavalry attacked the Stormcloaks' rear.

That distracted her for a couple of seconds, and when her attention returned to her own situation, she noticed the purple of a conjuration spell manifesting beside her. She grabbed for her sword, inhaling breath for a Shout, but before she could do anything, the newly-materialized Frost Atronach swung a massive arm, striking her just above the waist. She was pretty sure it broke ribs as it threw her backward off the wall, but then everything went black as she hit the ground, hard.

* * *

Voranil:

When Shanti went flying, head-first, Voranil cast Flame Cloak on himself and drew his sword, attacking the atronach. A Whiterun Guard and a Legionnaire joined him, careful to stay on the far side of the atronach so its cold would protect them from his Flame Cloak. Then fireballs started hitting the atronach, and he glanced down to the ground, to see a Breton mage standing beside Shanti's still form, casting the fireballs. With those odds, the atronach didn't last long. As soon as it vanished, Voranil banished his Flame Cloak spell and jumped down to where Shanti lay.

There was chaos around her, people frantically calling for healers, yells that the Dragonborn was down, a couple of field medics already checking her out. He shoved them aside, kneeling and running his hands a couple of inches above her body, swearing in Aldmeri as he evaluated the damage. There was no time to waste; she was sinking fast.

He cast Grand Healing. It was expensive in magica, but he had plenty, and others in range of the spell would benefit as well. It got her out of immediate danger of death, but she was still in very bad shape, and if his evaluation was right, she'd be out of action for some time. He stood as a couple of stretcher-bearers approached. "Be very gentle with her, and take her to Dragonsreach, rather than the Temple - she'll need the quiet of her apartment."

More gently than usual, the bearers loaded the small Khajiit onto the stretcher. "How bad is it, Captain?" one asked.

"Not good. Broken ribs, internal injuries, a concussion and possible skull fracture. I'll be staying with her. I'm not a pure healer, but I'm pretty good at Restoration magic."

"Divines protect her," one muttered, as they lifted the stretcher and headed for the city gates.

He followed, smiling briefly when Bjorn joined the group. "How are you, Sergeant?"

"I'm fine. Her?"

Voranil repeated what he'd told the stretcher-bearers, and the Nord swore. "Don't the damn Stormcloaks understand? If she dies, so does the rest of Mundus, including them!"

"I'm sure they know the stories, but ... well, it's pretty clear they haven't accepted those completely. Not if they're willing to conjure a frost atronach right beside her."

He glanced around, but didn't see the Breton. "There's a mage around here somewhere, a Breton, and I'm pretty sure he saved Shanti's life. She went off the wall head-first, but seems to've landed flat on her back. Then he helped with the atronach. I need to get back to her, so I want you to find him. Or at least who he is and where he's staying."

* * *

Shanti:

She hurt when she started to wake, but not as badly as she'd expected. If what she remembered was accurate, she'd been struck and thrown off the wall by a frost atronach ...

* _You remember correctly, Dovahkiin_ ,* Mulventoor sent. * _You came close to dying, and you must not do that. Your elf did what he could, but you are ... still far from well. You should move as little as possible._ *

"Mmmmh." Shanti groaned. * _I'll try. But I hurt, and laying still is boring_.*

Mulventoor sent amusement. * _I may be able to help, Thuri. I have a few thousands of years of life, therefore many stories and memories I can share_.*

* _You call me your overlord?*_ Shanti smiled, if only inwardly. * _Had I only had a friendly dovah during that attack ... *_

 _*It would have been simpler, certainly Our breath attacks are very effective, though some of your own were in the way, and would have been killed as well.*_

 _*Don't like that_.* Shanti slipped into unconsciousness again, feeling like she was enveloped in a dragon's wings.

She drifted in and out of consciousness, with no idea of how much time had passed since her injury. When she finally woke fully, she hurt all over, especially her head, and she groaned. Something was covering her eyes, which was fine; she didn't want to open them anyway.

"Easy, Shanti. I'm here beside you." That was Voranil's voice, and she found his presence reassuring. His next words were even more welcome. "I have some painkiller potions. I gather you'd like one?"

"Please." Her voice didn't sound right, a little harsh, but at least she could speak.

"I'm going to have to raise your head so you can drink." Action followed words, and she felt a potion vial at her mouth. When Voranil tipped it so she could drink, she did so, and the pain eased almost immediately. "You're allowed to sit up" he told her. "Halfway, at least, if you want. I have pillows to prop you up with, if you do."

"Please," she said again, and felt him arranging pillows behind her until she was half-sitting. "How long?" she asked.

"Since you were hurt? Two days."

"Where are we? Who won?"

"We did, and our Dragonsreach suite. You need the quiet, so the healers come to you, rather than you being in the Temple. Among other things, you had a concussion and cracked skull. Except for your helmet, it would've been a lot worse. That's why the blindfold."

"Mmmh. So that's why my head hurts. What about where it actually hit me? It felt like it broke ribs."

"It did, and some other internal damage. But you're healing, and Priestess Danica Pure-Spring comes up every day to check you out and tell me what to work on next."

"How long before I can get back to work? There's so much do learn and do before I can face Alduin ... "

"Minimum of another week, I'm afraid," Voranil said. "Though we're planning to check your vision tomorrow, and if you feel up to it, let you sit up all the way."

"That would be nice. When I was younger, I'd have given anything to stay in bed, but ... I've got so much to do, that being bedridden would be intolerable if it weren't for Mulventoor's stories and memories."

"Mulventoor ... the second dragon soul you absorbed, right? And it ... communicates with you?"

"Yes, and it's 'he' ... dovah have two sexes, like every other creation of the Divines."

"Really?" Voranil's voice sounded startled, and Shanti chuckled. "Well, yes. They rarely actually reproduce that way, but it's one of the ways they pass the millennia. Along with hunting, tinvaak, and - eras ago - aiding mortals with construction of cities, and ... ruling us. Them. Most dovah don't have hands, after all, so their options are limited."

"Hmm. Yes, that makes sense." He paused, smiling. "You're cleared to have visitors, when you feel up to it, and your mother arrived late yesterday. If you're up to it, I'll send a messenger for her."

"Yes, please."

"Then later, there's a Breton mage you're going to want to thank. I was pretty busy, so I didn't actually see it, but I'm pretty sure he broke your fall with telekinesis and shifted you so you landed on your back, rather than your head. I do know he helped me and a couple of soldiers kill the atronach, then when I sent Bjorn to find out who he was, he and an Argonian were helping with the wounded. Danica says he's been helping at the Temple ever since." Voranil paused and grinned. "You've met him before, briefly - he's the Breton who greeted you in Ta'agra that time in the Bannered Mare."

"Yes ... but Mother first, please. And let him know I don't speak it, please."

"Of course. I'll go get your mother, then."

It wasn't too long before Shanti heard her mother's voice, and smiled. "Mums! Thanks for coming."

"You couldn't keep me away, darling." Shanti heard the scraping of a chair being moved next to her bed, then she felt her mother's hand stroking her forehead. "How are you, darling? Really?"

"A bit woozy, and I hurt everywhere, but ... well, it isn't as bad as it was, and I have healers working on me quite a bit. Getting whacked by a frost atronach isn't a great deal of fun, and Voranil tells me a Breton mage saved my life. I've invited him to visit, when he has time, so I can thank him."

"Give him our thanks, as well." Ko'Adanji sighed. "It was bad enough you going adventuring, but a full-scale battle this early ... " Her voice trailed off, and she shook herself before continuing. "Still, in a war it would've happened eventually, and we've known for years you planned to go Legion. Just ... try to stick to adventuring until you have more experience?"

"That's what I'm planning, Mums. I can learn combat and magic on a smaller scale than a full-blown battle. Oh, and Bjorn is teaching me scouting skills, like sneaking and sentry elimination. Though he'll have to handle that, on any standing sentries - I'm just not tall enough."

"Pay attention to the sneaking lessons," Ko'Adanji said. "They'll help your safety, if not your reputation - which is growing. I get new songs almost every day, only a few of which wouldn't make you blush. And there's one some Legionnaire wrote that's absolutely dreadful, but that the troops love, and won't stop singing, so you won't be able to avoid it for long."

"I know it exists; Bjorn kept me from going into the Bannered Mare several evenings ago because it was being sung. So I guess I'm just lucky to have avoided it this long."

"That, and General Tullius has given orders that it's not to be sung if you're known to be in the area. But it's only a symptom ... the troops have decided you're, um ... well, the only term that seems to fit is 'their mascot'."

Shanti groaned, then winced as her ribs reminded her of their existence. "I suppose I'll have to learn to live with it. Is it really that awful?"

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Well, I won't inflict the whole thing on you, but even in your current condition, the first two lines shouldn't hurt:

"She is here, she is here, our small Dragonborn. "But she's not yet ready, our young Dragonborn."

"A mascot, and you're right, a dreadful song." Shanti sighed. "Still, it could be worse."

* * *

"Of course, Lady Dragonborn. I'll see if I can get you anything to eat before the healer gets here," The servant said before hastily retreating.

"Thank you" Shanti called out before returning to her book.

"Hmm, Lady Dragonborn." The sudden amused voice made her ears perk up. At the doorframe of her room stood a simply-dressed middle-aged Breton, looking at her with almost child-like curiosity. "Must have been quite a shock, learning you somehow had been chosen to hold Skyrim's greatest honor. May I?" He finished, gesturing to one of the empty seats in front of her.

Shanti managed a careful chuckle that didn't quite make her ribs hurt and nodded. "Please do," She said as she bookmarked her page and put the book on the table beside her. "And you're quite right, it was a bit of a shock. It's still hard to believe at times." She paused to smile. "You're the one who saved me, I assume?"

"Yes," The Breton replied as he sat down. "Although I must apologize for not having been able to stop your fall completely."

Shanti blinked. This man had saved her from an almost certain death and now he was trying to apologize for not having done more? "I owe you most sincere thanks for my life. When the atronach hit me I thought I was going to die and, were it not for you, probably would have. My parents and I are most grateful for your assistance."

"Rodryn Ashcroft," The Breton answered. "But just Rodryn will be more than enough."

"Rodryn," Shanti repeated, memorizing his name. "Then I'm simply Shanti, and if you ever visit Solitude, know that you'll always be welcome to visit and dine with us. My father's housecarl is an excellent cook."

The Breton smiled. "I'll hold you to it, then."

"Please do. We'll be more than happy to have you visit any time you're in Solitude."

The servant entered again, carrying a breakfast tray, and Rodryn rose. "It seems an appropriate time for me to depart, Dragonborn. It has been a pleasure to meet you."

"And you, Master Rodryn." Shanti watched the servant put her tray on a side-table and move it in front of her. By the time she looked up again, the Breton was gone.


	16. Diplomatic Immunity

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Chapter 16 - Diplomatic Immunity

Once she was allowed to start exercising, Shanti recovered quickly. She'd wake at dawn, spend an hour in meditation and prayer to Akatosh or Talos, sometimes both, then have breakfast with the Jarl and his court, and spend the rest of the morning training, usually with Voranil and Bjorn. She'd also been invited to train with the Companions, so she usually had lunch with them, and spent the afternoon, until she got too tired, with them. That stretched gradually from less than an hour, till she could go until almost suppertime. After supper, again with Jarl and court, she'd spend another hour in meditation and prayer before going to bed.

She began to actually enjoy the calm and quiet of those two hours. She got no direct responses, but she hadn't expected any, and part of her was just as glad. The one known divine intervention in her life had resulted in her current status of Dragonborn, and while it did have some good points - like living in Dragonsreach while a house was being built for her - on the whole she thought she'd prefer her original career choice as a Legion officer.

After about two weeks of what had become a rather pleasant regime, she and Priestess Danica agreed that she was healthy enough to resume her Dragonborn duties, but the priestess suggested she try to pursue one of the less strenuous ones. There weren't many of those, and the most likely to be relatively easy meant dealing with Delphine again.

She called Voranil and Bjorn into the sitting room. When all three were settled in with their favorite beverages, she said, "Have we heard anything from Delphine, other than the condolences she sent when I was hurt?"

"No, why?" Voranil asked.

"Because finding out what the Thalmor know about the dragons' return sounds, at least without knowing what her plan is, like the least physical thing I'd be doing. So we head for Riverwood this afternoon to talk to her."

They left shortly after lunch, and were entering the Sleeping Giant Inn by mid-afternoon. Delphine was working at her alchemy lab, but when someone called out, "Dragonborn!" she turned and approached the three.

"Dragonborn - you're recovered, I see. Good."

"Mostly, thank the Divines," Shanti said. "I'm at least able to spend most of the day training. Have you thought of any way to deal with what we were discussing earlier?"

"Yes. Come on in my room, and we'll talk about it."

The three followed her into her room, then down to the concealed room. "What have you got?" Shanti asked, when they stood around the table.

"I've figured out how we're going to get you into the Thalmor Embassy. I can get you an invitation to one of the Ambassador's parties."

"Thalmor Embassy?" Voranil objected. "Are you insane, woman?"

Shanti agreed with him. "Didn't you mention yourself that the Blades would need to protect a Dragonborn from the Thalmor? Keeping me away from them is one reason General Tullius has me out and away from Solitude and their Headquarters."

"What about you?" Voranil asked Delphine.

"That would be a bad idea. I'd be too likely to attract the wrong kind of attention. What about _you_? You're Altmer, like them."

"A possibility, I suppose," Voranil said. "Depending on who's staffing the Embassy, anyway. I was captured near the end of the Great War, and the ones who tried to 'persuade' me might still recognize me."

"Hmm." Delphine rummaged through some papers, then nodded. "Elenwen's First Emissary, Rulindil's Third. No Second listed. Cook's a Khajiit named Tsavani. A few guards, soldiers and mages we don't have names for. Malborn, a Bosmer who's one of my allies, and will help you."

"No, I never ran into any of those three," Voranil said. "So I should be able to do it." He grinned. "Can you get me a set of Thalmor robes? Divines know, I learned enough Justiciar mannerisms while I was held prisoner!"

"Actually, I have a couple of sets," Delphine said, grinning back. "But it'd be easier to give them to Malborn, or pick up a set inside, after entering as an invited guest. That's when the fun starts. You'll have to slip away from the party without raising the alarm. Then you'll need to find Elenwen's office and search her files."

"And Rulindil's," Voranil added. "He's likelier than Elenwen to have anything really useful. Despite her propaganda, Elenwen's ... more of a front for Rulindil than a power in herself. First Emissary's more of a ceremonial position than anything else. It's the Seconds and Thirds who do the real work."

Delphine shrugged. "I don't know that much about Thalmor internal organization, so I'll take your word for it. I'll give you the robes, and you can go to Solitude. Give them to Malborn, along with anything else you think you'll need, and he'll smuggle them into the Embassy for you. He'll be waiting in the Winking Skeever. Once you've done that, meet me at the Solitude stables. I'll have the invitation and party clothes for you."

"All right." Voranil turned to Shanti. "What'll you be doing while I'm on this mission? Nothing dangerous, please!"

Shanti chuckled. "Well, since I'm not willing to go Word-hunting without both of you, and General Tullius isn't likely to ask anything dangerous of me without you, I think I'll go back to Whiterun and see if I can get Farengar to teach me some alchemy and enchanting. I may never get really good at either one, but you're right that the basics can be useful in the field."

"Excellent," Voranil said with a smile. In that case, Delphine, why not go there as well? Because I'm going to pick up my principal before I do anything else. If you want the results as quickly as possible, that's what you'll have to do."

Delphine scowled. "I will, then. I'll probably be in the Bannered Mare."

* * *

Voranil settled his fur cloak over his party clothes as he got out of the carriage in the courtyard of the Thalmor Embassy above Solitude. It seemed there was another guest already in the courtyard, one who wasn't entirely sober, and he chuckled as he handed his invitation to the guard at the bottom of the stairs. "The Ambassador invites one like that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, my Lord," the guard replied. "He's a very influential merchant, so she must, but yes, he's overly fond of his wine. Or mead, or whatever. I don't believe he's ever strictly sober. Go on in; I'm sure Her Excellency will be happy to see you."

Voranil chuckled. "It can happen to anyone." And it might be helpful when it came to that distraction Delphine had mentioned ...

He climbed the stairs, and was admitted to the Embassy's reception room, where the party was in full swing. A woman in elegant robes approached him. "I am First Emissary Elenwen, but I don't recognize you, young man," she said, smiling pleasantly.

Voranil bowed. "Sanyon, Third Attache of our Markarth Consulate, Excellency. Lord Ondolemar thought I should begin to become more involved in affairs that aren't strictly inside my area of responsibility."

"Hmm." Elenwen smiled. "It sounds like he's grooming you for the next rank. Far be it from me to thwart even a third cousin. Enjoy the party, Sanyon, and make contacts, especially with the Jarls and that General Tullius."

"I believe that was Lord Ondolemar's plan, Excellency, so I shall." Voranil bowed again, and began circulating. He got strange looks from Jarl Balgruuf and General Tullius when he introduced himself as Third Attache Sanyon, but neither questioned him. After about half an hour, satisfied that he'd done all he could here - mostly making sure they'd associate "Sanyon" with the party clothes he presently wore - he went to the bar and got a glass of Colovian brandy, the strongest drink in Malborn's inventory, and carried it to Razelan, who was sitting on a couch nearby.

Despite several empty glasses on a nearby table, he didn't look any drunker than he had outside, but he'd heard Elenwen tell Malborn to cut him off. Voranil smiled at the Redguard. "I understand you may still be thirsty."

Razelan's voice was only a little slurred when he returned Voranil's smile and took the glass. "Kind of you, Sanyon." He half-emptied the glass in a single gulp, then grinned. "Ah, that's good! If I can ever do you a service, friend, just ask!"

"Well, as a matter of fact, it would help if you could cause some sort of distraction."

"A distraction?" Razelan grinned again, and abruptly seemed much drunker, his speech slurring more as he staggered to his feet. "I'm good at that - happy to pay you back so quickly." Then his voice grew louder as he wove his way toward Jarl Idgrod, beginning to sing a romantic ballad, off-key.

When everyone's attention was on the raucous drunk, Voranil made his way back to the bar, following Malborn into and through the kitchen, over the objections of the cook. She subsided when Malborn said something Voranil didn't quite catch about moon sugar, and they entered a larder, where Malborn pointed out a box. "Your things are in there. Get changed, and I'll let you into the main part of the Embassy, then lock the door behind you."

When he was changed and Malborn had let him out and returned to bartending, Voranil found himself in a corridor. Voices coming from an open door nearby made him stop to listen.

"Did you see those robes march in this morning?" one asked. "Who're they with? More of the Emissary's treaty enforcers?"

"No," another replied. "They're high mages, just in from Alinor. I guess Herself is finally getting worried about all the dragon attacks."

Voranil smiled. That was useful; so he wasn't the only unfamiliar one in Thalmor robes! But the first voice was speaking again.

"Ah, good. I've been wondering how we were supposed to defend this place from a dragon."

"If a dragon does show up, maybe we'll get lucky and it will eat the mages first," the second said. "Might give us enough time to kill it."

"Ha. I'd like to see those arrogant bastards taken down a notch. Always looking down their noses at us lowly footsloggers."

Voranil frowned. That didn't sound like the Thalmor had anything to do with the dragons' return, if they were worried about attacks! He coughed, then approached the door and entered the room, where two soldiers in Thalmor gilded armor hastily tried to look busy. "I'm looking for Third Emissary Rulindil," he said, doing his best to sound like an irritated Justiciar. "Where is he?"

"In his office, my Lord," the first one said, pointing to a door on the far side of the room. "Through there, then it's through the courtyard, in Ambassador Elenwen's solar."

Since he was playing Justiciar, Voranil didn't thank the man, just gave him a curt nod, and walked to the indicated door. As he opened it, he hid a smile at the muttered, "Damn arrogant mage!" behind him.

He entered the courtyard, seeing a couple of guards and another mage, but no one paid more than passing attention to him as he crossed the snowy expanse and entered the solar. Almost immediately, he heard voices. He moved toward the sound, using a decorative deathbell plant to shelter him from direct observation until he decided what to do next. He'd apparently walked in on an argument.

"But, I need that money! I earned it." The first voice was whiny, unpleasant. "I have my own expenses, you know ... "

That was no Thalmor, Vonanil thought. One of Rulindil's informants, perhaps.

"Silence! Do not presume, Gissur. You are most useful, but do not presume. We have other informants who are less ... offensive."

Voranil stifled a chuckle. He'd guessed right, and he was willing to bet the cultured voice speaking Common with an Aldmeri accent was Rulindil.

"But no one else has brought you such valuable information, have they?" Gissur said, his tone begging. "Etienne, he's talked, hasn't he? He knows where that old man is you're looking for, he told me himself."

"You'll get the rest of your money when we confirm his story. As agreed."

"So he has talked! I knew it!"

"Everyone talks, in the end," Rulindil said impatiently. "Now, I have work to do. Leave me to it, if you ever want to see the rest of your payment."

"Can I ... I could help you. He'd talk to me. He trusts me."

"You'd like to come downstairs with me, is that it, Gissur? Shall we loose his bonds and put you in a cell together? You can ask him anything you like, and see how he answers."

Gissur, not at all to Voranil's surprise, sounded frightened when he replied. "No, no. I'll ... I'll wait outside."

"That would probably be best. Now get out!"

Voranil stepped further behind the plant, though he was fairly sure Gissur would be too intimidated by the Justiciar robes to challenge him. In Rulindil's office, a door opened and closed. As soon as Gissur was out the door, Voranil entered the office and looked around, seeing a stairway leading upstairs. All right, work from top to bottom, then. He began searching the upstairs, gathering small valuables and tucking them into the pack hidden beneath his robes. In one of the chests he searched, he found a key which he pocketed. This was a bedroom, very likely Elenwent's, so it probably unlocked somewhere he'd need to search.

When he was satisfied he had everything useful or salable, he went back down to Rulindil's office, and gave it the same quick but thorough search. An unlocked chest behind Rulindil's desk proved to be the jackpot, with dossiers on Delphine and Ulfric Stormcloak, and another report labeled "Dragon Investigation: Current Status", which he glanced through. He was disappointed to find nothing about the dragons themselves; it merely referred to an informant, probably the Etienne Gissur had mentioned - Rulindil's prisoner.

"From Shadow Legion to Penitus Oculatus. Now if that's not a promotion I don't know what is."

That totally unexpected comment startled him, and his heart began hammering. He turned, trying to conceal his sudden fear. But the one who'd spoken wasn't a Thalmor; it was that Breton mage who'd saved Shanti's life.

He let himself relax a bit when he didn't hear any commotion, but he was still a bit suspicious. He didn't really know much else about the man. "Good day, Master Ashcroft. Here for the party?"

"Hardly, Captain," Rodryn replied as he approached the desk. Placing a hand on the dossiers he turned them enough for him to read the titles without making it seems like he wanted to take them for himself. "Now, what's so important here that you're willing to give up your life for it?" He asked as he gave the Altmer a quick side glance.

How much to tell him, Voranil wondered. Yes, he'd saved Shanti's life, but that was pretty much all he knew about the man. Still, he did have to say something. And Ashcroft had reacted, if only slightly, to the sight of Delphine's dossier, so leave her out of it. "The Dragonborn needs to know everything she can find out about dragons, and since the Thalmor are the only ones who've benefited from Alduin's arrival, it seemed reasonable to think they might know more about it than we do. So I'm here to find out for her."

Rodryn hummed and picked up Delphine's dossier. "May I?"

Voranil frowned. "Why? I'd rather not violate anyone's privacy without their permission."

"Well, it's a good thing then that I'm the one reading it and not you, right?" Was the reply as he casually opened the file and began reading.

Voranil swore to himself, but didn't dare object, possibly causing an argument that vould attract guards, so he simply waited until the Breton was done, then put all three documents into the pack concealed under his robes. "What now?"

"Well, I'm going to have a nice long walk with Elenwen through the garden." The Breton replied in a way that it was going to be anything but nice and quick. "And you, well. Someone told me the room downstairs is a great place to find friends."

That tore it. Like it or not - and he certainly didn't - he'd have to get into the dungeon and rescue the man. " ... cell closest to your office stairs" probably meant through the door here, so he tried to open it, found it locked, and discovered the key from upstairs worked.

He took a few deep, calming breaths before he opened it and entered, as quietly as he could. This was the upper level of the dungeon, yes, and a chained prisoner was under interrogation. Rulindil was talking to the prisoner, while a guard with a shock spell charged was standing by to administer the "persuasion". Voranil cursed at himself for not bringing a bow. The only weapon he had with him was a dagger with a Drain Magica enchantment - he'd have to wait until Rulindil and the guard were both distracted, cast invisibility, and try to kill at least one of them before being detected. Until then, all he could do was listen, and try to push back memories of his own time in Thalmor hands.

"Stop. Please," the prisoner pleaded. "I don't know anything else. Don't you think I'd have told you already?"

"Silence," the soldier ordered. "You know the rules. Do not speak unless spoken to. Master Rulindil will ask the questions."

Rulindil nodded. "Let's begin again."

Etienne caught his breath, shaking his head. "No ... for pity's sake ... I've already told you everything..."

"You know the rules," Rulindil said.

"Noooooo!"

It would be Rulindil, Voranil decided. And as soon as both Thalmor had their attention fully on the prisoner ... he prepared his spell and readied his dagger. He'd learned to move both silently and quickly over the years, so all he needed was that distraction.

Rulindil sighed. "Start at the beginning, as usual. If you persist in this stubbornness I'll have..."

"No, wait! I was just ... catching my breath ... why wouldn't I tell you again?"

If he was going to be going through his whole story, Voranil decided, the time was now. He cast his invisibility spell, ghosting down the stairs and in behind Rulindil, positioned his dagger carefully, and drove it up and in behind the Thalmor's ear into his brain. Rulindil was dead and twitching before he got it back out.

The soldier was too startled by his superior's sudden death and Voranil's appearance to take immediate action, which gave Voranil time to charge and cast Firebolt at the soldier's face, the strongest he could use without risking harm to the prisoner.

That stopped the soldier in his tracks, which gave Voranil a chance to take the man's sword and run it through its owner's throat. The prisoner appeared to have fainted, so Voranil checked the chest beside Rulindil's desk, finding another dossier, this time for someone named Esbern. He put it in his pack with the rest of his loot, then returned to the prisoner, who was awake, but not fully alert.

He sighed and found a healing potion he'd taken from a table here earlier, opened it, and fed it to Etienne. "Drink this, then I'll release you and we'll get out of here."

The Breton drank, then looked up. "No ... not healing me again for more torture! please, no more!"

"I'm not Thalmor, just wearing a stolen robe," Voranil reassured him, then released the cuffs around Etienne's wrists. "But I hope you know a way out of here that won't involve going back through the Embassy. I got through it pretty easily on the way in, but I doubt I'd be able to get back out that way with you."

"Yah ... Thalmor don't usually release prisoners but one way. I can't say for sure, but there's a trap door over there where they dump the bodies. No smell of rot, so I'm guessing it's open to the outside to allow predators in."

"That'll work." Voranil helped Etienne to his feet. "Can you manage, or do you need more healing?"

"Uh, a stamina potion would help. An' somethin' to wear."

Vonanil chuckled. "You can have party clothes, Justiciar robes, or Thalmor armor. I'd recommend the party clothes, unless you have an illusion spell to disguise the rest, once we get out of here."

"No magic, so I'll take the party stuff," Etienne said. Voranil handed it to him, and when he was dressed, they took the guard's sword and dagger, plus a stamina potion Etienne drank with a grimace. Voranil didn't blame him; stamina potions, in his opinion, were the worst-tasting.

The trap-door was locked, but since it was wood, that wasn't a problem. Voranil burned it, and the two of them jumped down - to find a troll roaring and trying to jump up onto the ledge they'd landed on.

Voranil swore, then began dual-casting fireballs. They were effective, but not as fast as either he or Etienne would have wished. Still, eventually the troll went down, and they were able to get off the ledge - about the same time voices started coming through the trap-door.

"Run!" Voranil yelled at Etienne, then followed him down the cavern, stopping only long enough to snatch a gem floating in a box from the body of a dead mage.

When the two got into clear air, Etienne said, "If you get to Riften, come see Etienne Rarnis at the Ragged Flagon in the Ratway. Now I'm outta here." He fled, disappearing into the dimming light.

Deciding that was an excellent idea, Voranil followed suit, running at ninety degrees to Etienne's path. He'd orient himself later, then get back to Whiterun and Shanti.


	17. A Cornered Rat

.

Chapter 17 - A Cornered Rat

Shanti found it hard to believe how glad she was to see Voranil when the sound of his entry into their suite interrupted her morning meditation. She rose from the posture the Greybeards had taught her and hugged him. "It's so good to see you again, fahdoni! How did your mission go?"

"Well, but rather surprisingly. I sent one of the palace servants to the Bannered Mare to find Delphine and bring her here. Is Bjorn around? I'd like to tell everybody at once."

One of the bedroom doors opened and Bjorn emerged, grinning. "Thought I heard someone arrive. Good to see you again, Captain - we were a bit worried."

"And you, Sergeant. Things went well enough, but we wait for Delphine."

* * *

"So as you can see from the documents, the Thalmor have nothing to do with the return of the dragons - they're as puzzled as we are. But they seem to think there's another Blade still alive, this Esbern, one of their scholars."

"Yes, and in Riften," Delphine said. "I thought the Thalmor'd killed him long ago, or I'd have had what contacts I've maintained there hunting for him. We need to get to Riften right away, before the Thalmor _do_ get hold of him."

"Who do you mean by 'we'?" Voranil asked. "Riften is not only in Stormcloak territory, it's the City of Thieves."

"Me and ... oh, I see what you mean."

"Wait," Shanti said thoughtfully. "I had planned on finding the Word the Greybeards mentioned being in Sunderstone Gorge as soon as I recovered, but Bjorn thinks I should get some sneak training from the Thieves Guild. So perhaps we should do that first."

Delphine frowned. "You'd have to join the Guild for them to be willing to train you. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Want to? Certainly not," Shanti said. "And I would certainly have to keep it from becoming public knowledge if I were to do so. The Dragonborn cannot be known as a thief."

"Keeping something like that a secret isn't going to be possible," Voranil said. "You're already too well known. If you join the Guild, it'll be known province-wide within days."

"And they might not want you as a member, for the same reason," Bjorn said. "They're thieves, not bandits, and I've heard they're punished if they harm their marks. Maybe an exception now and then, but I'm talking the vast majority of their jobs."

"But you said I need training from their expert and master level trainers," Shanti said, frowning. "So if I need something I can't get without joining, and neither side wants me to join, how can I get it?"

"I'm not the one to answer that," Delphine said. "That'd have to come straight from the Guild-Second or the Guildmaster himself. Which means you talking to one of them. In Riften."

Voranil sighed. "I don't like it, but it sounds like we should go there after all. Shanti needs this Esbern rescued for more information about the dragons, and to speak to one of the Guild leaders about how to get training without joining. All right. Civilian armor, and once we cross into the Rift, we avoid people as much as possible. Especially Stormcloaks and Thalmor."

"You'll get no argument from me on that," Delphine said. "How soon can we get started? My traveling gear's in my room at the Bannered Mare, so I can be ready any time."

"Make it tomorrow after breakfast, then," Voranil suggested. "Do you have a horse?"

"Yes, but won't four of us on horses pretty much have to stick to roads?" Delphine objected. "And they're faster, but they require more stops for feed and watering, not to mention a lot more obvious than a group on foot. If Helgen weren't a ruin, I'd suggest riding to there, then walking the rest of the way. Since it is, I think we'd be further ahead to walk from here."

"Possibly so," Voranil said thoughtfully "All right, we'll do it that way. If we take preserved food and mostly eat as we go, it should be almost as fast as horses."

* * *

The trip to Riften was mostly uneventful, except for the usual wildlife encounters. Until they arrived at the gates, that was. One of the sentries called for them to halt. "You'll have to pay the entry tax, travelers. Two hundred septims apiece."

Delphine snorted. "Who're _you_ working for? I've been here over a dozen times, and never paid an entry fee. Does Mercer Frey know what you're up to?"

"Uh." The guard gulped, then took a deep breath. "Sorry, ma'am. You and your friends ... uh, welcome to Riften. Just give me a second to get the gate open."

Moments later they were inside the city gates, and Shanti gagged. The place smelled like a toxic mix of human waste and fish guts, but she knew her olfactory nerves would be deadened pretty quickly, so she didn't say anything.

She wondered that no one hailed her, but then, this was Riften, where it was probably wise not to attract attention to oneself. She followed Delphine through the crowds, surprised to find a few Argonians mixed into the humans and elves. She remembered enough of her basic geography to know Riften had significant fisheries, and decided that was probably the reason.

When they made it to the central market, Delphine had to raise her voice to be heard over the merchants praising their goods. "Over here - big redhead is one we need to talk to!"

Once all of them were at the stall, Delphine grinned at the vendor peddling Falmer Blood Elixir. "Heyla, Brynjolf. Got time for a drink? I'd like you to meet a few people."

He returned the grin, hooking a thumb over his shoulder toward the inn. "Inside. Where we can talk and drink."

Once they were inside the Bee and Barb, Shanti discovered that the "drink" part was quite accurate, and they even had kumiss, but "talk" translated to "just short of shout", or "parade ground voice", and still couldn't be heard more than three feet away.

Once they were settled in and introductions had been made, Brynjolf turned to Delphine. "Haven't seen you in some time. What's up?"

"Looking for an old friend name of Esbern," Delphine replied. "He might've arrived twenty-some years ago. And young Shanti's looking for stealth-type training."

"There's a crazy old man down in the Ratway Warrens who arrived about that time," Brynjolf said thoughtfully. "As for the training ... hmm."

"Voranil rescued one of your people from Thalmor interrogation," Shanti said. "Etienne something ... Rarnis, I believe."

Brynjolf looked at the Altmer. "That'll get you into the Ragged Flagon, at least. If he confirms that, Mercer may be willing to let her earn some training."

"Doing what?" Shanti asked.

Brynjolf shrugged. "That'll be up to Mercer, assuming he lets you try. Maybe get rid of the Thalmor that've been prowling around the Ratway the last few days."

"We'd probably have to do that anyway, to get Esbern out," Delphine said, standing. The sound level dropped when she stood, so when she said, "Let's go kill some Thalmor," it was heard, and got cheers.

The rest of the group stood as well, and Brynjolf grinned. "Come on - I'll show you where they were seen last."

* * *

Shanti followed the big redhead out of the Bee and Barb, around the blacksmith's forge and shop, past the Honorhall Orphanage, and down a flight of stairs to the city's lower level. One look at the water made her glad her nose had essentially shut down, and going into the Ratway, otherwise known as the city sewer, just confirmed that.

They had a brief brush with a couple of would-be bandits, but those fled when they saw the armed and armored party - or maybe they knew and had reason to fear Brynjolf. At any rate, they weren't bothered again as Brynjolf led them into a huge circular chamber - man-made, not natural - with a walkway leading to the right beside a pool of water. They continued following, past several niches apparently being used for storage on the right, till they got to what looked like a small taproom.

A blonde woman straightened from where she'd been leaning against a stack of crates. "New clients, Bryn? We could sure use them."

"Not exactly. Go get Etienne, would you? The ca ... Khajiit says the Altmer's the one who rescued him. I'd like to have that confirmed before we go any further."

"Right. I think he's in the training room. Be right back." She left, and Brynjolf settled into a chair across a small table from a stocky bald man, who studied the group, then concentrated on Shanti. "Do I recognize you, Khajiit? You fit the description, even if I can't see much of your coloring. Tortoise-shell long-haired Suthay, traveling with an Altmer and a Nord. Description didn't mention the Breton woman, though."

"She does not usually travel with us." Shanti was becoming apprehensive at the questioning. "Why?"

Brynjolf frowned. "What're you saying, Delvin?"

The bald man sighed. "Bryn, you've just brought the most dangerous person in the Empire right into our midst." He turned to Shanti, stood, and bowed. "Welcome to the Ragged Flagon, Lady Dragonborn. Assuming I'm correct."

Shanti returned the bow. "You are. I am Shanti Dragonborn."

The blonde woman returned, trailed by a Breton in leather armor, who smiled when he saw the group, and hurried to clasp forearms with Voranil. "Good to see you again, my friend. Something I can do for you?"

"I think you've just done it, verifying that I rescued you. You're looking a lot better than you were in the Embassy."

"Feeling it, too." Etienne grinned. "I hear you're traveling with the Dragonborn - ?"

"I am she," Shanti said calmly. This was looking more promising, now. "Shanti of Solitude. I am pleased to see you doing well. We are searching for the same man Voranil said the Thalmor were questioning you about."

"I'm afraid I told them - and him - everything I knew, which is that there's an old man hiding down in the Warrens that _might_ be him. I can't promise it's the right man."

"That's fine - we'll find him, and hopefully clear out your Thalmor pests."

"Mind if I go along? I've got a bit of a personal grudge. Obviously."

"That would be fine with me, if your superiors don't object," Shanti said.

"He can go," Brynjolf said promptly. "Just watch yourselves. The Ratway's not exactly full of upstanding citizens. 'Most everyone down here is either avoiding the law, or crazy. Sometimes both." He led them to a door to the right of the bar. "This'll take you to the Vaults, and you get to the Warrens, where the old man's holed up, at the southeast corner."

"I've been in the Vaults often enough that I should be able to get us that far with no problem," Etienne said. "Once we hit the Warrens, though, I'm a lot less certain what we'll find, other than the crazies Bryn mentioned."

He led the way, pointing out a door that led to Riftweald Manor, the Jarl's residence, then disarmed a trap. They encountered skeevers, which were no challenge, then down a spiral staircase. Shanti wasn't too fond of those; you couldn't see very far ahead, so she tended to be cautious using them.

Nothing ambushed them, though, and they made their way past an old, unused workshop, a room that looked like it might have been used by someone not too long ago, and finally to the door Etienne told them led to the Warrens.

* * *

The group's trip through the Ratway Warrens began with an encounter with a Thalmor mage and two soldiers. It wasn't really a contest; Shanti and Voranil went after the mage, while the other three attacked the soldiers.

Down some stairs, they encountered a locked door. "May I try?" Shanti asked when Etienne pulled out a lockpick. "You're probably an expert, while I need practice. Badly."

He stepped aside, grinning. "Be my guest. I'm no expert, though; I'm still taking lessons from Vex."

If she could get approval for training, Shanti decided, she'd try for some from Vex, whoever that was. As she worked on the lock, she asked, "What kind of training does the Guild offer?"

"It's members only, unless Mercer or Bryn take a liking to you," was the reply. "If that happens, though, it's Vex for lockpicking and Delvin for sneaking; they're our Guild-Thirds. Then we have Vipir for pickpocketing, and Niruin for archery. All four of 'em are Master-level."

"Interesting ... I wouldn't have expected that." Shanti smiled when the door opened. "Shall we continue?"

This time, Etienne waved her forward. "I've only been here a couple of times, so I don't know much."

"If Clairvoyance works on people, you might want to try it," Bjorn suggested.

"It does, and that's a very good idea," Shanti agreed. She cast the spell, which led them past a door where a young-sounding woman was muttering a nonsensical litany, then up another set of stairs, and then left, ending at a shuttered door.

Delphine took the lead then, and knocked. When the shutter opened, she said, "Esbern? It's me."

Shanti thought the voice on the far side of the door sounded stunned. "Delphine? Is it really you? I thought you'd been killed."

"And I thought you had. May we come in?"

"Certainly, certainly ... just a moment. This may take a bit." That was followed by the rattling of chains, accompanied by a commentary on Esbern's progress, but eventually the door opened, and Esbern stepped aside. "Come in, all of you!"

When they were inside, he re-chained and re-locked his door before turning to his guests. "Delphine! I ... it's good to see you. It's been ... a long time."

"It's good to see you, too, Esbern. It's been too long, old friend. Too long. Well, then. You've made a nice little hideout for yourself, and you're safe and sound. Good." Then Delphine gestured to the others. "We're here to get you out of Riften. You can't stay here, with the Thalmor after you."

"What does it matter?" the old man asked. "With Alduin back - yes, we've heard that, even down here - the world is going to end."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Shanti said.

Esbern turned on her. "Don't you know, young lady? When Alduin returns, he brings the end of everything. I've been trying to tell people for ... for years! It's over!"

"Ah? From the prophecies I've read, when Alduin returns, a Dragonborn to battle him does as well. And she is here."

Esbern looked stunned. "Dragonborn? She? Are you insane, girl? Dragonborn are supposed to be Nord - or at least human - males!"

"Like St. Alessia?" Shanti retorted drily. "Many Dragonborn sovereigns have been female. I am not a sovereign, but I am both Dragonborn and female."

Delphine chuckled. "She is, old friend. I was there when she absorbed a dragon's soul. It looked like a fire moving from the dragon to her as the dragon's body dissolved, then seeping into her like water into a sponge. Not real fire, though, because there was no heat."

"Excuse the interruption," Voranil said, "but I really think we should get out of here before any more Thalmor show up."

Both of the Blades stared at him, then Esbern nodded. "You're right, of course. I just need to gather some materials they shouldn't have in their hands. Divines know they got more than they should have when they sacked Cloud Ruler Temple." He began going through his things, muttering to himself about what to take and what it would be safe to leave.

When he began to collect supplies rather than books, Shanti stopped him. "We have ample food for the trip. If you can carry more, make it information."

He looked at her in surprise. "Very well - a few more, then." Not long afterward, he had everything in a pack, and had slung it on his back. "All right, I'm ready." He went to the door and started undoing his security preparations.

As he did so, they heard the crackle of spells being cast. That meant Shanti and Voranil taking places beside him and preparing spells, ready to lead the way out of his room. He interrupted himself briefly to grin at Shanti. "I don't need as much protection as you seem to think. I'm old, but I'm more dangerous than I look."

If he were dangerous at all, Shanti thought but didn't say, he'd be more so than he looked, but she simply nodded. "True. I don't know your skills, so - "

"I do," Delphine said, sounding amused. "I'd say Voranil first, then Esbern, then you, Dragonborn. The rest of us afterward, to take care of anything you three may not've gotten with your magic."

"Very well." The door was only wide enough for one person at a time, so she positioned herself behind Esbern.

When he opened the door, Voranil went out and promptly began casting lightning bolts with one hand, a ward with the other, both aimed at the lower level. When Esbern began casting, Shanti was impressed - he was conjuring Frost Atronachs like the one that'd thrown her from the Whiterun wall. Her own contribution was fireballs, mostly at the three Thalmor soldiers because the other two were concentrating on the pair of mages.

Once all the Thalmor were down and stripped of their valuables, they made their way back to the Ragged Flagon, Bjorn and Etienne grumbling to each other about being used as pack mules after not seeing any action. Delphine just laughed at them.

* * *

Back in the Ragged Flagon, Brynjolf met the group with one eyebrow up. "How'd it go, Etienne?"

"Pretty good, boss. Bunch of dead Thalmor, including mages. I got my share of loot from 'em."

"You think the Khajiit should have a chance to talk to Mercer?"

Etienne looked thoughtful at that. "Yeah, she's earned it," he said slowly. "But ... maybe not this time. After the fight, she probably won't be willing to put up with Mercer's ... uh ... "

"Yeah, I know," Brynjolf interrupted. "Talk to Tonilia, see what she'll give you." Then he turned to Shanti. "You've done us a favor, clearing the Ratway of Thalmor. But Mercer's going to be upset that a Khajiit and her people did it, instead of the Guild. Would you mind waiting to talk to him for a bit?"

Shanti sighed. "If I must, though I really want to get the sort of training the Guild offers."

"I can understand - we're even better than the Legion at stealth stuff. What kind are you after? If you're going to be adventuring while you get ready to face Alduin, I'd recommend sneak and lockpicking. Pickpocket not so much, though it could come in handy if you get good enough to sneak up on bandits or whatever and lift their weapons."

"I hadn't considered pickpocketing," Shanti said slowly, "but you do have a point. So all three, yes. But the Legion's archery trainers are quite good, and free to Legionnaires."

The blonde woman, again leaning against her crates, grinned at them. "I'm Vex, the lockpicking trainer and the Guild's best infiltrator. And I don't give a damn about Mercer's opinion on this. He's not going to stop me from training the Dragonborn, even if no one outside the Guild ever knows about it. You want a lesson, Lady Dragonborn, come with me."

"Yes, please. And I am Shanti only, please."

"Shanti, then." Vex grinned, and led her to one of the alcoves, then pointed to a locked chest. "That one's novice level. Let me see what you can do."

Shanti knelt and obeyed. It took her several minutes, but she managed without breaking her only lockpick.

"A little slow, but not bad," Vex said. "Self-taught?"

"No, ma'am. My father taught me."

"Well, no disrespect to your father, but if he taught you that method, he's not too skilled at lockpicking himself. Come over here, to the master-level chest, and I'll show you the best method." As Shanti moved to rejoin her, Vex continued. "And I'm Vex, not ma'am. Though I appreciate the courtesy. Get down here, where you can see clearly, and watch carefully."

* * *

When they finally left Riften, Shanti had had sneak training from Delvin, bought a supply of lockpicks from the Guild's resident fence, advice to apply soft rubber to the soles of her boots when she wanted to sneak into a place with hard floors, and had promised to practice both lockpicking and sneaking any time she got a chance.

But it was twilight when they left the city, and they had to find a place to camp before dark. They found a quiet grove west of Snowshod Farms, and set up camp. They'd worry about getting out of the Rift and back to Riverwood tomorrow.


	18. Alduin's Wall

.

Chapter 18 - Alduin's Wall

"The Dragonborn found Esbern," Zyraxis said as he seated himself with Rodryn and Vyric at the Bee and the Barb.

"And the Thalmor?" Rodryn asked even though he already knew the answer.

"All dead," the Argonian replied, earning a stare from the Breton.

"Now what? Elenwen's going to think we did it," the Nord, Vyric, said with obvious frustration. "Especially after your last visit to the Embassy."

Rodryn, however, remained quiet as he pondered the current situation. The Dragonborn had just made a huge mistake, one that could very well end up with her being killed. Even though all the Thalmor in the Ratway had been killed, Riften was bound to have several undercover agents who would eventually learn who really killed the soldiers.

"That would be a very logical assumption, yes," Rodryn eventually said. "But we all know there are spies here that will uncover what happened. And when that happens ..." He finished, letting his two companions fill in the rest.

"If they find out members of the Imperial Legion participated, it'll mean war," Vyric said soberly. "Or at the very least, they'll demand the Empire hand her over."

Rodryn nodded. "Indeed, and if that happens we'll all die."

"So, now what?" Vyric asked again. "We can't claim responsibility for this, they will never believe we did it. We know they know we're smarter and more discreet than that, and the Thieves Guild will most certainly not step forward whether they participated or not."

"And so it all still leads back to the Dragonborn," Rodryn said as he rubbed his forehead. "Vyric, go back to Whiterun. Send out our couriers and tell everyone to be ready to deal with possible unwanted visitors."

"Of course," Vyric said as he stood up, but before he could leave he heard Rodryn call him.

"Oh and Vyric, tell Nelix to be ready. I'll send Zyraxis to him once we've talked to Mercer."

* * *

Shanti and those with her woke at first light, had breakfast, and were on the road out of the Rift in less than an hour. Their numbers kept wildlife away, and it wasn't until they were near the Hold border that anything out of the ordinary happened.

It was a little diffucult from their position to tell who'd been the aggressors, but there was a fight going on a few hundred feet away between Thalmor and Stormcloaks. Shanti couldn't honestly bring herself to hope for either side's victory - she'd be just as happy if neither side won. On a personal level, both considered other races to be inferior, and on a less selfish level, both opposed the Empire she served. She came close to getting her preference; when the battle was over, the Thalmor were dead, and the two Stormcloak survivors had to help each other toward Ivarstead.

Once they were over the border and heading toward Riverwood, Shanti approached Esbern. "I would appreciate any information you could give me that might help me against Alduin, Master Esbern."

"Of course, my dear." The elderly Blade smiled at her. "I never thought to meet a Dragonborn, you know, even one with only the Blood. I'm deeply honored to meet one with both Soul and Blood. What would you like to know?"

"As I said, anything that would help me fight him. His vulnerabilities, what Shouts are most useful against him, anything like that."

"There is something," Esbern said thoughtfully. "But it's information I don't have yet. Just a pointer to the information." He sighed. "I really should show you and Delphine the source document, which I have with me, so would you mind waiting until we get someplace I can do so?"

Well, yes, she would mind, but she wouldn't say so, out of respect. "Of course, sir."

He chuckled. "You needn't call me 'sir', Dragonborn. I'm supposed to protect and serve you, not the other way around."

"True," Shanti said, "but I was raised to show proper respect, and the last archivist of the Blades certainly ranks as one who deserves it."

Esbern smiled. "It's nice to see the younger generation can still be polite. Very well, young lady. Call me whatever you wish, but I'll be quite satisfied with my name."

"And I, with mine. If it does not make you uncomfortable."

He chuckled. "I think I'll stick with your title, then. I'm too old to start disregarding my own training."

* * *

A courier met them at the Sleeping Giant's entrance, approaching Shanti. "A letter for you, Dragonborn. I'm to deliver it to you only. Glad you finally got here."

Shanti accepted it, recognizing General Tullius' handwriting, and smiled. "Come inside with us. You look like you could use a meal and some sleep. It will go on my Legion account."

Once they were settled at a table, she opened the letter, read it, and sighed.

"What is it?" Voranil asked.

"General Tullius wants me to meet Legate Rikke at the Pale encampment, for an assignment. But he told me when I took the Legion oath that my Dragonborn duties came first, so I need to get Esbern's briefing before I can decide what to do."

"Of course that duty comes first," Esbern said. "Obviously so, because if you don't defeat Alduin, nothing else will matter." He turned to Delphine. "Is there someplace more private we can discuss what I have?"

"Certainly. But not until we've had a meal and rested a bit."

* * *

Down in Delphine's secret room, Esbern dug through his pack for a book, muttering to himself. Shanti found that annoying, but given how long he'd been in hiding and essentially alone, she found herself unable to criticize him. And once he found the right volume, he became quite brisk, to her relief.

"Ah! Here it is. Come, let me show you."

Once they'd gathered around him, he pointed to a paragraph.

"You see, right here. Sky Haven Temple, constructed around one of the main Akaviri military camps in the Reach, during their conquest of Skyrim."

Delphine frowned, looking at Shanti. "Do you know what he's talking about?"

She barely had time to shake her head before Esbern continued. "Shh! This is where they built Alduin's Wall, to set down in stone all their accumulated dragonlore. A hedge against the forgetfulness of centuries. A wise and foresighted policy, in the event. Despite the far-reaching fame of Alduin's Wall at the time - one of the wonders of the ancient world - its location was lost."

"Esbern, what are you getting at?" Delphine was clearly trying to curb her impatience, but not doing a very good job of it.

"You mean... you don't mean to say you haven't heard of Alduin's Wall? Any of you?"

Shanti frowned. "I may have, in a book I read a few years ago, but it didn't have anything specific. So what can you tell us about it?"

Esbern smiled. "Alduin's Wall was where the ancient Blades recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return. Part history, part prophecy. Its location has been lost for centuries, but I've found it again. Not lost, you see, just forgotten. The Blades archives held so many secrets... I was only able to save a few scraps ..."

Shanti nodded. "So you think that Alduin's Wall will tell us how to defeat Alduin?"

"Well, yes, but... there's no guarantee, of course."

"Sky Haven Temple it is, then," Delphine said before Shanti could respond. "I knew you'd have something for us, Esbern."

Then she turned to Shanti. "I know the area of the Reach that Esbern's talking about. Near what's now known as Karthspire, in the Karth River canyon. We can meet you there, or all travel together, your call."

"Separately, then. I want to check Legion maps and scout reports, so we'll meet you at Karthspire."

"Your call. Might be safer to travel separately - attract less attention that way. Don't worry, I'll get Esbern there in one piece. We'll wait for you near Karthspire. Good luck."

"Thank you, and the same to you. We will see you there."

* * *

The best approach turned out to be from the west, which let them avoid a large Forsworn settlement. It did mean a more difficult route, but Shanti though it was worth it, since it avoided a battle they couldn't win. They met Delphine and Esbern just outside the mouth of the Karthspire. They entered together, and almost immediately encountered four Foresworn, one of whom began casting fireballs at them. Esbern and Voranil took on that one, while Shanti, Bjorn, and Delphine attacked the other three.

Once the usual post-combat healing and looting were done, they went deeper into the cavern, until they came to worked stone ruins and a puzzle consisting of three rotating pillars.

"This looks promising," Delphine said.

Esbern chuckled. "Yes. Definitely early Akaviri stonework here."

Shanti frowned at the pillars. They seemed to be a very early version of the Nordic rotating pillar puzzles, so she asked, "Do those symbols mean anything special?"

"Yes. These are Akaviri symbols. Let's see ... you have the symbol for 'King' ... and 'Warrior' ... And of course the symbol for 'Dragonborn.' That's the one that appears to have a sort of arrow shape pointing downward at the bottom."

"That's too easy," Shanti said, turning all three to the "Dragonborn" symbol, which lowered a bridge to their left.

Delphine smiled. "Let's see what else those old Blades left in our way."

Esbern led the way, but then stopped short, causing Delphine to run into him.

"Why are you stopping?" she demanded.

"We should be careful here," he replied. "See these symbols on the floor?"

Shanti moved up beside Esbern to look. "Um. Looks like pressure plates, which makes this one mine. I can get across them before they have time to trigger."

"Are you sure?" Voranil asked.

Shanti nodded. "You know I got past the fire-trap pressure plates in Ustengrav that way."

"Good point," Voranil agreed with a grin. "Go ahead, then."

"Wuld!" took her to the pull-chain they assumed would deactivate the pressure plates.

When the rest joined her, Esbern was enthusiastic. "I think we must be close to the entrance. Let's go!"

They kept going, across a couple of bridges, then came to a large chamber with a huge carving of a head - Reman Cyrodiil, according to Esbern - "And he took his last name from the Akaviri name of Cyrod; Cyrodiil, contrary to common wisdom, wasn't named for him, it was the other way around. And it's remarkably well-preserved, too. And in front of it ... a 'blood seal'. Another of the lost Akaviri arts. No doubt triggered by ... well, blood." He looked at Shanti, his sympathy clear. "Your blood, I'm afraid, Dragonborn."

Shanti hid a grimace, and didn't say what she thought of blood-activated locks, aside from a sarcastic, "Wonder what they did if they needed to get in and didn't have a Dovahkiin with them?" Instead, she knelt over the seal, and used the glass dagger Balgruuf had given her to slice her palm open and let the seal absorb the blood until the giant face rose, going up and back to reveal an entrance behind it. Then she healed her hand, and cleaned and sheathed her blade.

By that time, the two Blades were standing by the entrance, looking impatient, but when she approached, Delphine smiled, surprising her. "After you, Dragonborn. You should have the honor of being the first to set foot in Sky Haven Temple."

"There's no telling what we might find inside!" Esbern exclaimed. "Though perhaps ... I shall have to check."

It was an interesting trip, as Delphine lit up braziers so they could see the wall carvings Esbern was lecturing on. It would have been even more interesting if she cared at all about Akaviri sculpture and how it had changed under Nordic influence. For once, she was glad that Delphine was along to keep him to the real subject.

Eventually, they made it to the main chamber, where Alduin's Wall dominated the far end, and Esbern was in his element. "Shor's bones! Here it is! Alduin's Wall... so well preserved... I've never seen a finer example of early second era Akaviri sculptural relief..."

Delphine sighed. "Esbern. We need information, not a lecture on art history."

"Yes, yes. Let's see what we have..." He went to the left side of the Wall carvings, and began explaining again.

"Look, here is Alduin! This panel goes back to the beginning of time, when Alduin and the Dragon Cult ruled over Skyrim. Here, the humans rebel against their dragon overlords - the legendary Dragon War. Alduin's defeat is the centerpiece of the Wall. You see, here he is falling from the sky. The Nord Tongues - masters of the Voice - are arrayed against him."

"So, does it show how they defeated him?" Delphine asked impatiently. "Isn't that why we're here?"

"Patience, my dear," Esbern said. "The Akaviri were not a straightforward people. Everything is couched in allegory and mythic symbolism. Yes, yes. This here, coming from the mouths of the Nord heroes - this is the Akaviri symbol for "Shout." But ... there's no way to know what Shout is meant."

"You mean they used a Shout to defeat Alduin?" Delphine frowned. "You're sure?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Esbern said with a nod. "Presumably something rather specific to dragons, or even Alduin himself. Remember, this is where they recorded all they knew of Alduin and his return."

"So we're looking for a Shout, then. Damn it." Delphine turned to Shanti. "Have you ever heard of such a thing? A Shout that can knock a dragon out of the sky?"

Shanti shook her head. "No, I've never heard of anything like that. But Master Arngeir or another of the Greybeards might know."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. I guess there's nothing for it. We'll have to ask them for help. I hoped to avoid involving them in this, but we have no other choice."

Shanti frowned. "You sound like you dislike them. Why? They've been nothing but kind and helpful to me."

Delphine sounded bitter when she replied. "If they had their way, you'd do nothing but sit up on their mountain with them and talk to the sky, or whatever it is they do. The Greybeards are so afraid of power that they won't use it. Think about it. Have they tried to stop the civil war, or done anything about Alduin? No. And they're afraid of you, of your power. Trust me, there's no need to be afraid. Think of Tiber Septim. Do you think he'd have founded the Empire if he'd listened to the Greybeards?"

Shanti cocked her head, thinking about that question, before she nodded. "Yes, I do. As a Dragonborn, he was exempt from the restrictions that normally bind those who practice the Way of the Voice. And the Greybeards are properly cautious that power misused can be dangerous, especially something like the Thu'um. But neither they nor I fear my power. They are, in fact, encouraging me in my efforts to increase it."

"Good. The Greybeards can teach you a lot, but don't let them turn you away from your destiny. You're Dragonborn, and you're the only one who can stop Alduin. Don't forget it."

"Believe me, I cannot, even if I wanted to. I am reminded of it on an all too frequent basis. But shortly after I leave here, I plan to go to High Hrothgar and ask Master Arngeir about that Shout."

"Right. Good thing they've already let you into their little cult. Not likely they'd help Esbern or me if we came calling. We'll look around Sky Haven Temple and see what else the old Blades might have left for us. It's a better hideout than I could have hoped for. Talos guard you."

"Thank you. And may He guard you as well." She rejoined Esbern, who was continuing his analysis of the Wall, in the hope that she'd learn something useful. She heard Delphine say something about searching the Temple for anything useful, but didn't pay much attention.

Until Delphine emerged from deeper in the Temple, waving a sheathed katana. "Dragonborn! Esbern! Look what I found!"

Everyone turned to her, and Esbern took the blade, half-unsheathing it. He stared at it for a moment, then murmured, "Great Divines! Do you realize what this is?"

"I'm no mage," Delphine replied, "and I don't read Dovahzul, but I'm willing to bet it's Dragonbane."

"And you're quite correct," Esbern said, smiling. He re-sheathed the blade, extending it toward Shanti. "This is yours, Dovahkiin. It was created and enchanted for one of the earliest Dragonborns. It does shock damage to most enemies, but it does special damage against dragons, far more than most weapons."

She felt Mulventoor shudder within her as she accepted the sword and fastened it to her weapons belt. Was it _that_ bad?

* _Not as bad as the Shout you wish to learn, which I cannot even name comfortably,_ * Mulventoor replied. * _But yes, it is very, very bad, especially when_ you _wield it.*_

 _*And you know I would prefer not to kill my kin, so long as they do not try to kill me or harm those under my protection,_ * Shanti sent. * _I would much rather ally with them, if that is possible.*_

 _*Alliance? Dov rarely form alliances. The only way do do what you wish is to become thur, either by killing us individually, as you became mine, or by killing Alduin, the current thursedov, and assume his position by right of conquest.*_

Thursedov. Overlord of dragonkind. Shanti sighed. * _Which I must do anyway, but not until I have the strength, and that grows more slowly than I wish it would.*_

 _*Yet it grows. Do not push too hard, Youngest Sister, lest you over-strain, and must recover before continuing to grow stronger. If you wish, I can warn you when you approach your limits._ *

* _Please do_.* Shanti's attention returned to Sky Haven Temple, and she forced a smile. "Thank you. This should be most useful."

Delphine grinned. "Good. Let us know what happens after you talk to the Greybeards, and I'll work on whatever I can from this end."


	19. Return to Helgen

Author's Note: This chapter is based on the Helgen Reborn mod, with a good part of the first quests not described in detail, because while they're a lot of fun to do, they'd make for rather repetitive reading. It's a wonderful mod, and I can't recommend it strongly enough. Note that this is the large Mike Hancho version, not the smaller one with a very similar name. Unfortunately, I did have to modify parts to fit into this story ... Also, the assassins-plus-dragon happened to me the last time I played. Different location, and the assassins didn't help, but I did survive (somehow) and got the dragon's soul.

* * *

Chapter 19 - Back to Helgen

They had an unexpected free day, so Shanti decided to check on rumors she'd heard that bandits had been evicted from Helgen, possibly by Legion veterans. It would be nice if that were true, so the survivors of Alduin's attack could return and rebuild their homes. Whiterun to Helgen wasn't that long a ride, and the weather was bright and sunny, if a bit on the chilly side. They broke their trip at Riverwood long enough for a lunch at the inn, then continued.

As they were passing the Guardian Stones, though, they were hit with a multiple attack - a dragon from above, and a trio in Dark Brotherhood armor on the ground. Fortunately, and much to Shanti's surprise, the Brotherhood assassins were more interested in protecting themselves from the dragon than they were in going after their contract, and they were quite good with their bows. By the time the dragon was dead, so were two of the assassins - though as Daanbiilok's soul entered her, so did an assassin's dagger. Both together made her stagger and fall, and she was still dazed when Bjorn helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Uh. More or less, I think. Though my head's spinning a bit, and my side hurts." She took the time to check herself, then cast a healing spell, and the pain in her side eased. "Do any of them have documents that say why they attacked us?"

Voranil was checking the bodies, and after a few minutes, he stood, holding a note. "Dark Brotherhood, all right. Seems someone performed the Black Sacrament with you as the target, and they've already been paid. Wouldn't surprise me if it were the Thalmor bastards. They probably know by now that we're the ones who killed their agents in the Ratway and rescued Esbern."

"We'll have to do something about the Brotherhood, then," Bjorn said. "They aren't known for letting their targets survive. We need to find out what the Penitus Oculatus knows about their Skyrim operation."

"Which means a trip to Dragon Bridge," Voranil said. "At least that's the only Penitus operation I know of in Skyrim. But that can wait until tomorrow; there's no way the Brotherhood can learn of these assassins' failure before then. And this must've been a chance encounter, since we didn't decide to come here until this morning, and didn't tell anyone."

"That sounds reasonable," Bjorn agreed. "So let's get this trip done, and back home. Shanti can take us to Solitude in the morning, and Dragon Bridge is only a short ride from there."

"Yes, that spell is becoming more useful," Shanti said. "You were right, Voranil - as I Mark more destinations, it actually begins to save us a respectable amount of time, which I can use more productively than simple traveling."

"Even if it's only meditation or praying," Voranil agreed, "since you say both help to strengthen your Thu'um. I don't understand that, but not being Dovahkiin, I don't need to."

"True," she agreed, with a soft purr.

* _Daanbiilok may prove to be difficult_ ,* Mulventoor sent. * _May I have your permission, Thuri, to suppress him if he attempts to take control?*_

 _*Certainly,_ * Shanti replied. * _I did not even know such a thing was possible.*_

 _*It is not, but he does not believe that, with a dovahsiil inhabiting a kaaz_ ,* Mulventoor sent, his thought-tone amused. * _He will learn, in time.*_

 _*Do what you think best_ ,* Shanti sent. * _I trust your judgement.*_

 _*You do me great honor, Thuri. I will do my best to deserve it_.*

"Hey, look!" Bjorn interrupted her thoughts as they approached Helgen. There was a small Khajiit caravan parked outside the walls, but it was wagons only, no trace of the usual tents or mini-stalls. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Voranil replied, "but I'm sure we'll find out."

They left their horses at the stable, then went to the gates, which looked new - and were guarded by a Khajiit and a Redguard in what had to be a uniform like none Shanti had ever seen. Blue surcoats and shields with an emblem of an anvil and smithing hammer?

"Your identities and business, strangers?" the Redguard asked.

"Captain Voranil, Imperial battlemage, Sergeant Bjorn of the Scout Service, and Lady Shanti Dragonborn, for a simple visit," Voranil replied.

"Ahh, the Lady Shanti," the Khajiit said, with a loud purr. "May you and yours feel always welcome in Helgen. Joto welcomes you personally, as well as officially. Would you happen to know of a dog Joto might adopt?"

A Khajiit wanting a dog? Shanti had never heard of such a thing, but she answered politely. "I am afraid not, but may I ask in turn how a Skyrim city has a Khajiit guard, when most do not permit Betmer inside their cities, much less into their Guard forces?"

Joto purred. "Of course. The Dragonborn may ask anything of this one. But she will find most of her answers from our Mayor, Marcus Jannus, who owns the general goods shop."

"I thank you, and I will ask." She smiled. "Which way is his shop?"

"One moment, and this one will hail a citizen to guide you." He did so, and a Nord came over, agreeing to guide Shanti and her party to Helgen Wholesale. When she and her bodyguards entered, their guide left, and she turned to the man behind the counter.

"Marcus Jannus?" she asked. "I am Legate Shanti Dragonborn, and my companions are Captain Voranil and Sergeant Bjorn. We heard that Helgen was being rebuilt, and I must say I'm impressed. It looks nothing like it did the last time I was here."

"Honored to meet you, Lady Dragonborn, gentlemen. Yes, I'm Marcus Jannus, currently acting as Mayor. Why don't you come to the Hold with me, and I'll get you something to drink - and eat, if you're hungry. It's a lot more comfortable place to talk than my shop."

"Thank you, and we accept. Just drinks; we stopped for lunch in Riverwood. And I would very much like to hear the story of Helgen's rebirth."

Not long afterward, they were seated with Marcus, another man named Val - Valerius Tiberius Artoria - and a third, oddly named Patsy. Once everyone was settled, Shanti said, "I was last here shortly after Alduin's attack, looking for survivors, but those had already left. The city was nothing but rubble everywhere, smoking and in a few places still burning. Now the rubble is gone, and the place is rebuilding. How in Aetherius did you do it? And why?"

Marcus sighed. "My brother and his family lived here, and after I heard about the dragon attack, I came to see if they had survived. Unfortunately, none had, and rumor had it that a man named Val and his band of ... um, what word to use? Not rebels exactly, because they're still mostly loyal to the Empire, except for its tolerance of Thalmor. Anyway, I heard they'd cleared Helgen of bandits, so I sent Patsy with a note for Val, along with his wife's wedding ring. Val agreed to meet me, and it's gone on from there."

Shanti thought about what she'd heard, frowning, and focused in on one thing. "Why do they object to the tolerance of Thalmor? I have reasons of my own, but do you know theirs?"

"Me, because the bastards raped my wife and kids in public, then left their bodies to rot in front of the Imperial Palace during the Great War," Val said coldly. "Most of my men have similar stories. What's yours?"

"Nothing so atrocious," Shanti said. "A near-certainty that they are the ones who set the Dark Brotherhood on me. Three of their assassins at the same time a dragon attacked. Fortunately for us, they joined the battle against the dragon, and the three of us only had to kill one after that battle was over." She paused. "It may mean little coming from one you do not know, but ... you have my condolences, and my prayers for your loved ones. Is there a particular Divine I should address those prayers to?"

"Lady Mara, please," Val said. "Any others you want to as well, of course, but ... Mara's the Goddess of Love, and I did love them all so much ... " His voice trailed off, and he took a gulp of his drink.

"It will be so," Shanti assured him.

He gave he a wan smile. "Thanks, Lady Dragonborn." He took a deep breath. "So, to continue our story. Marcus and I agreed we didn't want to ask either the Empire or Ulfric for help, so we posted notices in all the main cities, and then sent Patsy out to collect recruits. By the time they got back, the Thalmor had grabbed the one we'd named head of the Helgen Guard and taken him to their prison south of Fort Neugrad. A few of us went down to get him out."

Val grimaced. "Of course, he'd been tortured, but luckily it wasn't anything we couldn't heal. Wiped out their entire garrison, which was ... enjoyable."

"Perhaps not wise," Voranil said, "but I would find such activity very enjoyable as well. I was the victim of their attentions for a couple of months, myself."

"Well, we did find something you'll be interested in," Val said. He left briefly, and returned with a Thalmor dossier which he handed to Voranil.

The Altmer blinked when he saw Shanti's name on the cover, then opened and read it.

"Thalmor Dossier: Shanti

"Status: Active, High Priority, Royal level approval. Subvert to our aims. Kill if that is not possible.

"Descitription: Female Khajiit, Suthay sub-species. Long-haired tortoiseshell. Age 17.

"Background: Born Skyrim, raised since age 12 in Castle Dour MOQ. Junior Legion. Recently recognized by the Greybeards as Dragonborn, and raised to Legate in the Legion.

"Operational Notes: Of no fixed address. Since her identity as Dragonborn was revealed, she has been moving randomly around Skyrim. Elimination in either way is very strongly desired, but no move should be made unless it is very powerful, as she has both magic and Voice as well as a Legion bodyguard."

Voranil passed it to Shanti. "That's ... very interesting."

"And stupid," Marcus said. "Anyone with any sense is going to want to keep her alive - or at a minimum not actively try to kill her, at least until she defeats Alduin. I gather from her background subversion is highly unlikely."

"It is," Shanti said drily. "I am young, but I'm a loyal Imperial citizen. And if that isn't enough, I have what you might call internal backup." Mulventoor called her his overlord, so she was confident he would protect her to the best of his ability.

* _And you are quite accurate, Thuri_ ,* Mulventoor sent, his "voice" amused. * _Of course I will, since my own welfare is directly linked to yours. In all ways_.*

"Maybe the Dominion doesn't think Alduin will bother the elven races?" Bjorn suggested. "They believe they're descended from the Divines, not just created by them, like we 'lesser races' were."

* _Alduin will spare none, even dov_ ,* Mulventoor sent, with a mental snort. * _And mer are as much creations as men and beasts and plants. The only ones_ born _of a Divine are dov and Dovahkiin. And you, unfortunately, are mortal_.*

Shanti sent a chuckle. _*I'm used to it. Truly, I'm not sure I'd be able to handle a winged dovah's immortality_.*

Her attention returned to the outside. "According to my internal counselor, the mer races are as much created as the rest of Mundus, except for dov. So yes, the Altmer are deluded if they think they'll survive Alduin. Even dov will not. If Alduin eats the world, he will eat _all_ of it."

She took a deep breath, then continued. "Back to the original subject, which was the rebuilding of this city. Is there anything I can do to assist with that?"

"Not specifically with the rebuilding, no," Marcus replied. "We had a bit of difficulty with some of our building supplies, but we managed to get that straightened out."

"There's something else, though," Valerius said. "I've gotten confirmation that there's a slavery ring here in Skyrim, being run by Aerandil, an old ... nemesis of mine. He's a Justiciar who asked that he be sent to Skyrim and be put in charge of the Thalmor prison system. He and his people are accusing innocent citizens, including entire families, men, women, and children, of being Talos worshippers so they can arrest them, then sell them as slaves."

He sighed. "Unfortunately, the only clue we have is that one of Aerandil's guards made a comment that his boss is spending too much time with a prostitute named Diana at the Tall Mast Tavern. It's on the road to Morthal, not far from Dragon Bridge. If you could look into that, and maybe take care of the slavers - ?"

Shanti nodded. "We are planning to go to Dragon Bridge tomorrow anyway, for a different purpose; I see no reason we wouldn't be able to speak to this whore while we're in the area."

Val smiled. "Thanks - I'll mark it on your map."

* * *

"Slavers, hmm?" Voranil said, when they were on the way back to Whiterun. "And led by a Justiciar. Well, judging from that dossier on you, that won't be much more dangerous than any other slaver, since there's a subvert-or-kill order on you already, and I still think those Dark Brotherhood assassins were sent by the Thalmor. So we check with the Penitus detachment head, then talk to this prostitute Val mentioned?"

"With a stop on the way, I think," Shanti said. "Whiterun to Dragon Bridge will take us fairly close to Sunderstone Gorge for another Rotmulaag, which is also high priority. So the Gorge, then Dragon Bridge, then the Tall Mast Inn. Unless the Gorge is unusually difficult, we should be able to accomplish all three tomorrow."


	20. Destroy the Dark Brotherhood

Author's Note: Corrected error; Shanti got the first Word of Marked for Death, not the second.

* * *

Chapter 20 - Destroy the Dark Brotherhood

When they arrived at Sunderstone Gorge, they were met with bloodstains, two skeletal bodies, and a necromancer, who warned them away.

That was totally ineffective. Shanti used what was becoming her favorite Thu'um, even with only one Word - "Yol!" and Voranil hit him with lightning bolts, blasting him against the rocks by the entrance almost as well as Fus would have, plus having the usual shock effect. With the necromancer dead, they entered the cave.

"This might be a good time to practice your sneaking skills," Bjorn suggested.

Shanti grinned at him, nodded, and dropped into the bent-kneed stance that let her almost glide along the floor. It was very similar to what she'd been taught for walking on glare ice, though that had been for stability rather than silence.

They passed through a rather long, narrow passage until they saw another necromancer crouched by a fire. She glanced at Voranil, her ears pricked with curiosity, and when he nodded, she grinned, then used "Yol!" again. He crumpled to the floor in flames, and she grinned again, then moved forward, casting clairvoyance.

They followed until it led to a wall they couldn't climb, and Bjorn swore. "I thought that spell took us straight to where we were going!"

Shanti sighed. "It usually does, and normally by an unobstructed route - but not always. Sometimes it only shows the most direct route, without considering obstacles, and this would seem to be one of those times. It's showing us where our objective is, but not how to get there. I suppose we have to resort to the follow-the-wall method instead, since we don't have a map of this place."

"If we do, we do," Voranil said with a shrug. "Lead on, then."

It turned out to be more tedious than difficult, for the most part, and Shanti noticed a couple of silver ore veins she'd have to mention to her mother for later exploration by aspiring Bards - the College was going through a bit of a financial dry spot at the moment. They did run into a chamber that had half a dozen mages of various types, and when that battle was over, they'd won, but were all injured, so they took time to eat and heal. Shanti and Voranil had to wait long enough for their magica to replenish, and Bjorn was looking ruefully at his depleted potion supply. "Talos, I hope this was the hardest part! Otherwise you two are going to have to help me out."

"We will, of course," Shanti assured him. "Is your problem lack of money, or lack of carrying power?"

"A bit of both," Bjorn said. "I'm a scout, so not as burly or strong as most Nords, and scout sergeants aren't paid as well as officers. It's usually not a problem, but traveling with you ... " he shrugged. "Depending what we get into, I may need help."

"Which you will have," she assured him. "We can get you some equipment enchanted with a carry weight spell, and since you're attached to me, I believe I'm allowed to give you an extra allowance for non-standard requirements involved with that service. Which means, in this case, extra funds for healing potions."

"You're correct," Voranil said. "You're our principal, so our primary duty is protecting you, but if you want to give us anything, it's allowed - like sharing the loot, which you already do."

"Good." Once everyone was healed and rested, they moved on after looting the bodies. They went up stairs and along a couple of suspended log bridges that eventually led them to a door. Shanti opened it, casting clairvoyance since they were above the level where they'd hit the wall. This time it led straight ahead, unobstructed except for an oily floor. And more necromancers approaching, but she took advantage of the oil. Fire breath set it ablaze, and the necromancers were caught.

When the blaze died down, they explored the room, doing the usual looting of bodies and chests. There were gems and coins, but she was happiest to find several healing potions, including a couple of strong ones, which she and Voranil made sure Bjorn got.

They followed her spell through another narrow passageway, to a large room with a raised area at the far end. She could see the Word Wall there, though they were still far enough away she couldn't see the glow or hear the chanting. Unfortunately, there were several mages, so she and Voranil began casting spells while Bjorn used his bow. She got off one "Yol!" before things became so chaotic that she ended up using Dragonbane in her right hand, casting healing on herself with her left.

When the fighting was over, she leaned against the altar to catch her breath before going to the Word Wall, which she could now hear.

Voranil joined her. "Is something wrong, Shanti?"

"Wrong?" She thought about that for a moment. "Not exactly ... more a feeling I get now and then that I've been thrown in way over my depth. Why couldn't the Dragonborn have been what everyone, including me, expected? I'm too young, I'm too small, I don't have anywhere near enough experience, and I'm really not all that fond of fighting!"

"You're getting pretty good at it, though," Bjorn said. "And I trust the Divines to know what They're doing, even if They don't see fit to confide in us. Besides, you were going to join the Legion anyway, and that means fighting."

"But not every day, or almost," Shanti said. "Besides, not everyone in the Legion is a front-line soldier, though all have to have the basic skills. Most are support troops, and as a Suthay, I was expecting to be trained as a scout. The Legion mostly wants Cathay or Cathay-Raht for the front line, you know."

"Yeah. But you got saddled with the job, and you're doing as well with it as anyone could expect." Bjorn grinned. "Going to see what you got this time?"

Shanti shook herself, wishing she were out of armor so she could fluff her fur properly. How long had it been since her fur was free? "Yes, of course." She straightened and approached the chanting Wall, absorbing TOOR as she did.

She turned to her companions, smiling happily. "The second word of Fire Shout! Now if I can get the third, I will be a _very_ happy Khajiit!"

"So we can leave now?" Bjorn asked. "I don't know about you two, but I'm pretty tired."

"Of course we can," Shanti said. "And the rest of what I wish to accomplish today is simply talking, so that should enable you to recover."

* * *

A couple of hours later, they were in Dragon Bridge. Shanti had been here before, since it was so close to Solitude, and she had always found the Bridge, with its huge dragon head, awe-inspiring in itself, even before she learned the engineering that had gone into it. But this time, she was here to speak to the commander of the Penitus Oculatus detachment ... which was frightening in itself, since they were both the Emperor's personal protectors and his espionage service, as the Blades had been earlier.

She hid a shudder as she entered the Penitus outpost, and an Agent approached her. "Yes, Miss?"

"I am Legate Shanti Dragonborn, and I would like to speak to your commander, if he is available."

The Agent frowned, but then turned and went into a back room. When he returned, he was accompanied by a large Nord man in Penitus armor. "I'm Commander Maro, Dragonborn. What can I do for you?

"Ah, tell me where we can find the Dark Brotherhood? Unless you object to us killing them because they are trying to kill me, of course."

"They're - do you have any proof, Dragonborn? Because if so, that makes it a matter of Imperial security."

"We have." She handed him the note one of the assassins had been carrying. "Voranil thinks the Thalmor are the ones behind the contract. That seems likely, since we obtained a copy of their dossier on me."

Maro frowned. "May I see it?"

"Certainly." Shanti waited while Voranil handed it to the Commander, who read it, his frown turning to a scowl.

"This needs to go to the Emperor," he said when he was done. "I'll see that he gets it. In the meantime, you're quite right about the Dark Brotherhood. I've been planning an operation against them, and I have reinforcements on the way for that, but it'll be a couple of weeks before they get here. If you don't want to wait, their Sanctuary is in the Pine Forest, about two miles west of Falkreath, and the pass-phrase is 'Silence, my brother'. Though I'm not sure I'd recommend going in with only three of you against maybe eight of them, if they're all there."

Voranil chuckled. "Normally I'd agree with you, Commander, but they're assassins, not melee fighters. We shouldn't have too much trouble with them."

"I hope not, but be careful anyway. Arnbjorn's a werewolf who used to be a Companion, Babette - the one who looks like a little girl - is a vampire, Krex is a mage, and the Argonian, Veezara, is a Shadowscale. So it might not be as easy as you think."

"What I think is that we don't have much choice," Bjorn said. "They've already tried once, and if not for a dragon attack at the same time, they might very well have succeeded. Though I doubt the dragon was helping us deliberately."

"Well, Lady Shanti and I are both mages, she has several Shouts as well, and we're all pretty good at sneaking, so I'm still not too worried."

"I hope your optimism isn't misplaced," Maro said. "Getting rid of the Brotherhood would be a major benefit to all of Tamriel, not just Skyrim. But it's not worth a serious risk of Lady Shanti's life."

Shanti sighed. "Just think of it as part of my training, Commander - which is vital if I am to have any chance against Alduin. Yes, the training is dangerous, but going against Alduin as I am now would be suicidal."

"We all have to trust you on that, Dragonborn." Maro echoed her sigh. "Just ... be as careful as you can."

"Oh, I will be, I assure you!"

"A more thorough briefing on what you'll be facing, then. The more information I can give you, the safer you'll be."

"That is true. Very well, we are listening."

It took most of an hour, but by the time Maro was done, they had a good grasp of both the Sanctuary's layout and its occupants. The Brotherhood was very good about security, but the Penitus Oculatus was very good at intelligence collection as well, and by the time they left the outpost, Shanti was even more optimistic about their chances.

* * *

Their next stop, as planned, was at the Tall Mast Tavern to speak with Diana. It wasn't hard to tell her profession; her clothing made it all too clear, as did her attempt to proposition the men, and when that failed, Shanti herself, which the young Khajiit found revolting. She finally ended up bribing the whore to get the information they needed, and she heaved a sigh of relief when they were able to leave.

"Was it worth the 1500 septims?" Bjorn asked, with some amusement, shortly after they got outside.

"To learn the name of a contact, or to avoid her advances?" Shanti retorted, equally amused. "Actually, yes to both. Without the contact's name, we could do nothing about the slavers, and I have no attraction of that sort toward women. As it is, if she had kept pushing, I fear she would have had a face-full of claws, and I would be wanted for assault."

"I'm pretty sure Jarl Elisif would pardon you," Voranil said, smiling. "Let's get home, so we can tackle the Dark Brotherhood tomorrow morning. I know you want to get the slavers, but eliminating the Brotherhood danger to you has to be a higher priority."

"Yes, I know." Whatever her feelings about it, that had been pounded into her. "So home it is."

* * *

When they arrived at Dragonsreach, supper was just beginning, and Balgruuf waved them over. When they were seated and had been served, he said, "I have bad news, I'm afraid, Lady Dragonborn. Your house construction has been delayed, but the furnishings are done and in storage."

Shanti chuckled. "After my visit to Helgen, I can guess why. There must have been competition for available materials, between my house, Helgen rebuilding, and your own construction of the Outer Wall."

Balgruuf sighed. "I promised a couple of months, and it's been - what, almost half a year? Granted, there was a war in the way, and the competition you mentioned, but still ... it _is_ 202 now, not 201 any longer. I don't usually let my promises be delayed that long."

Really? Shanti thought back, and yes, it probably was. She'd never been good at dates, but she hadn't thought she was _that_ bad! She blushed, even though she was the only one able to notice the heat at her ear-tips. "Should we move out, then, perhaps to an inn? I do not wish to abuse your hospitality."

"Only if you want to," Balgruuf assured her. "You're welcome to stay in Dragonsreach as long as you like; I enjoy your company."

"Thank you, my Jarl. I was taught to be more considerate than that, but as you say, we've been quite busy. And it doesn't look like my life will be slowing down any time in the immediate future. In fact, tomorrow we have a ... rather dangerous mission." She paused, anticipating his next question. "Yes, there are others who could do it, but not as quickly as it should be done. I promise to describe it in full to you, if we are successful."

"And if you aren't ... well." Balgruuf settled himself. "So, then tell me of your most recent adventures. If you're concerned about abusing my hospitality, your stories will more than make up for it."

Shanti smiled to herself. Jarl Balgruuf sounded like the uncles her friends had told her about. Friendly and protective, but not quite paternal.

* * *

Shanti got a pleasant surprise the next morning. A courier had arrived overnight with a letter from Rikke. She smiled as she read it, then passed the news along. "Legate Rikke and her troops made the final push on Dawnstar yesterday, arrested Jarl Skald, and replaced him with a retired Legion veteran, Legate - now Jarl - Brina Merilis. The Pale is part of the Empire again."

That got a cheer, and Voranil asked, "Does this change our plans?"

"Not at all," Shanti replied. "It does improve my mood and make me more optimistic about the war, though. We will get going right after breakfast."

* * *

They'd decided to teleport to Falkreath, so as soon as they were out of sight of Whiterun, Shanti took the other two's hands and cast the spell. When they arrived outside Falkreath's walls, she took a few seconds to orient herself, then began following Commander Maro's instructions. About two miles west of Falkreath, he'd said, so they headed in that direction for the approximate distance, then spread out to explore.

It took a couple of hours - the Black Door was no bigger than any other, and it was Bjorn who found it and called them. "Okay, who goes in first?"

'I do," Voranil said "We all sneak pretty well, but I'm the strongest mage, with the best defenses."

"Go ahead, then," Shanti said. "We'll be right behind you."

Voranil approached the door, which said, "What is the music of life?"

"Silence, my brother."

"Welcome home." The door opened and allowed Voranil into the Sanctuary, but closed before the others could follow.

Shanti sighed, then went through the same routine, waiting to proceed until Bjorn was also inside. Then they moved forward, cautiously. The first person they saw was a man in a blacksmith's apron. From Maro's briefing, that was Arnbjorn, the werewolf, and they'd already discussed what to do when they encountered him. Shanti Shouted "Yol TOOR," quietly but with all the intensity of a full-throated Voice, getting a shocked reaction from Mulventoor, though he didn't say anything. At the same time, Voranil cast lightning bolts, and Bjorn began firing his small supply of Daedric arrows. They'd all seen Farkas' abilities in his beast form, and had no intention of facing another werewolf once he'd had the time to shape-shift.

All three heaved sighs of relief when Arnbjorn fell, dead, without shifting more than half-way. He'd been the most dangerous individual in the Sanctuary, so the rest shouldn't be difficult - at least by comparison to a shifted Arnbjorn.

That didn't mean it was easy, because it wasn't. The Argonian was in a grotto area near a smithy, and Bjorn took aim, but the instant the bowstring twanged, Veejara moved, drawing a pair of swords, and the arrow merely nicked him. He charged them, faster than she'd have expected. Her Fire Breath wasn't fully effective against the scaled skin, but it distracted him enough for Voranil to get in a pair of lightning bolts. After that, it was only a matter of finishing him off.

The mage, Festus Krex, knocked her out and burned Bjorn before Voranil managed to kill him. She made a mental note to stock up on healing potions for Bjorn whenever she got the chance, then they continued into the cavern. They stayed together, rather than separating, because a couple of the others could cause trouble, and did, but it didn't even come close to comparing to Dustman's Cairn - much to Shanti's relief. She found a Word Wall and got the first word of Marked for Death, Krii, ... appropriate for the location, she thought. Then it was a matter of making their way to the rear of the Sanctuary, then burning everything flammable on their way out, which wasn't a problem, though when they emerged, all three were coughing from smoke inhalation and had to take time for healing spells and potions.

* * *

When they returned to Dragon Bridge and Commander Maro, he was first disbelieving, then elated. "I can't believe you actually managed it, Dragonborn! All of them, and you burned the Night Mother's corpse as well?"

"Yes, sir. Except for Arnbjorn, it was not especially difficult." She winced at the memory of Dustman's Cairn, thinking she probably always would. "And I found a Word Wall, which I had not expected. So I now have a Word of the Marked for Death Shout."

"So a successful mission all around." Maro smiled. "I'll send word to His Majesty. There are substantial rewards for any Dark Brotherhood operative killed, but I can't even imagine the reward for wiping out their final Sanctuary and the Night Mother herself. I'll be in touch, I promise, when I hear from him."

Shanti smiled. "If it gives me the couple of thousand more I need to buy Proudspire Manor for my parents, I will be more than satisfied. If it is enough more to furnish it for them ... well, I would be elated."

Maro laughed. "I'm authorized to pay three thousand septims for Astrid's death alone, so if you only need two to buy a house for your parents, that's done." He went to a back room, returning with a piece of paper he handed to her. "This is a draft on the Imperial Treasury for three thousand septims. Present it to General Tullius or the factor at the East Empire Company warehouse, and you'll get your reward. Anything more will have to wait for His Majesty's reply."

"This will do wonderfully for now, sir," Shanti said, beaming with happiness. She could get her parents a great house, and even start to furnish it, with this and what she already had! "If you don't mind, I'd like to get back to Solitude, and get things started."

Maro chuckled. "Enjoy, Dragonborn. Your parents are very fortunate people."

Shanti thought it was the other way around - she was the fortunate one, to be born to wonderful parents - but once she teleported them to Solitude, she wasted no time reporting to General Tullius and collecting her money.

"You wiped out the Dark Brotherhood? Really?" he asked, as he handed it over.

" _We_ did, yes. And I intend to split the full reward with Voranil and Bjorn, truly, but this part, I am going to use to get my parents out of MOQ!"

Tullius laughed. "Go ahead, then, my Lady Legate. Just watch out for Thalmor on the way to the Blue Palace."

"I will. Though if they try to confront me, they will not survive. Nor will I apologize to anyone for what I do to them."

Tullius looked startled, then smiled. "I like your attitude, Lady Dragonborn. It's about time someone let those damn elves know they aren't the masters of Tamriel."

As she was turning to leave, Tullius spoke again. "Just one more thing ... " he said, sounding quite serious.

Shanti turned back. "What is it, sir?"

"You really shouldn't place yourself in the kind of danger you risked at Whiterun. I know you need that sort of vantage point for your Shouts and spells, but it also allowed that Stormcloak mage to conjure a frost atronach right beside you, and we all know how that turned out."

Shanti's ear-tips heated in embarrassment. "But I ... " No, she wouldn't mention that Rikke had allowed her to choose her own position. "But Master Ashcroft was able to catch me with telekinesis, saving my life."

Tullius scowled. "Ashcroft? Would that be _Rodryn_ Ashcroft?"

"Yes, sir. He visited me while I was recuperating. He seemed very nice, and Voranil said he was a merchant and philanthropist. " She frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"He is that, but mostly to conceal his ... less savory operations," Tullius said grimly. "But he's not the man you think he is. He's a criminal, and a very dangerous one at that. We don't know a great deal about him or his organization, but we do know he's not someone you want to cross or be indebted to."

"It sounds like you want me to avoid him, then."

"Actually I don't," Tullius said, letting out a tired sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I'd rather see him and the rest of his organization behind bars, or maybe their heads on pikes. On the other hand, Commander Maro let me see the Thalmor dossier and execution order on you before he forwarded them to the Emperor, and rumor has it Ashcroft has been head-butting with the Thalmor lately."

"So you want me to try to convince him to help the Empire?"

"Yes, if you see him again or find one of his men, see if you can get him to meet with me. If we're lucky, and the rumors of organized attacks and sabotage against the Dominion here in Skyrim _are_ the work of Ashcroft and his men, that would give us at least some common ground to stand on."

"Of course, sir. But, I will not participate in anything that harms one who, after all, saved my life."

"No harm intended, Dragonborn. We owe him for that, as well. So a visit will be no risk for him."

"In that case, I will see what I can do." Shanti's expression was unreadable when she left the Castle. It was disturbing to think that Rodryn was ... "less than savory", as the General had put it. But she still liked and was grateful to him, and such a meeting might be to his benefit, so yes, if she saw him again, she'd mention it.

* * *

An hour later, Shanti was sitting with her parents at the dining table in their MOQ rooms, savoring one of Darius' slaughterfish chowders as she updated her parents on her most recent activities. "So you can move into Proudspire Manor any time you want," she finished. "I was able to get the master bedroom furnished out of the reward, but I am afraid the rest is still pretty bare, and not exactly up to military standards of cleanliness."

"Jordis and I will take care of that part," Darius said, smiling. "If you're not going to be taking her with you on your travels, may I suggest you assign her to your mother?"

"A very good idea, and I'll do exactly that." She turned to her mother. "Truly, I'm afraid of what the Thalmor might try to do to you and Father because of me. I'd be a lot happier if you had a housecarl of your own."

Ko'Adanji sighed, but then smiled. "You have reason, darling, so I accept. Though it seems odd for a Bard to need a bodyguard."

Shanti chuckled. "From what I understand, Svaknir could have used one! Though none of your songs have been the kind to offend a Jarl." She paused. "Do I dare ask what horrors are being written about me?"

"Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Nothing that contradicts your journals, dear. At least not at the College; Professor Gemane and I vet them very carefully. We can't do anything about the free-lancers, of course, but anything from the College is at least not exaggerated."

"Thanks, Mums." Shanti smiled. "I have another couple of volumes for you, and I'll write up the Dark Brotherhood's destruction before I go to bed. It'll probably disappoint your fans, since we did a lot of sneaking, and not a whole lot of fighting, but it got the job done."

"You might be surprised," S'Jherek said. "A Dragonborn who uses her mind instead of just pure muscle ... well, that's more popular than you might expect, among the common folk. And believe it or not, warriors respect it, as well."

"Of course they do," Darius said. "We aren't all that fond of getting killed, you know, and we know the Dragonborn's worth, so ... use your brains, girl, not just your muscles and Thu'um."

"I will, I promise." Shanti smiled, then sipped her kumiss. It was wonderful to be home, and have the evening to relax before whatever was going to happen tomorrow.


	21. To Paarthurnax

.

Chapter 21 - To Paarthurnax

At the team's morning conference - something that had begun happening as she was given more and more tasks - there was only a bit of discussion about what to do that day. "We need to visit the Greybeards soon, and follow up on what we found in Sky Haven Temple," Shanti said. "I am not up to facing Alduin yet, but perhaps that Shout Esbern mentioned would help me prepare. Today would seem as good a time as any."

"That seems reasonable," Voranil said. "Since the original Tongues used a Shout, it would seem to be something you'll need as well. So High Hrothgar it is."

"And thank the Divines we don't have to make the climb any more," Bjorn said. "I'd really like to avoid any more trolls."

Shanti chuckled. "So would I! And the cold. Right after breakfast, then."

* * *

They materialized in High Hrothgar's entry hall, which was empty, so they went to the dining area, where Shanti found some meat. Not long after they'd seated themselves, the Greybeards entered and began preparing their own breakfast. Arngeir spoke briefly to Wulfgar, got a nod, and joined Shanti and her bodyguards. "You come to us again, Dragonborn. What may we do for you?"

"I'm looking for a Shout, In Arngeir," Shanti replied. "One I do not particularly want to use, but one I fear I need to accomplish what I was apparently born to do."

"Defeat Alduin, you mean." Arngeir sighed. "I'm still not sure that's destined, but I also don't know that it's not. So what Shout is this?"

"According to the carvings on Alduin's Wall, it is the shout the original Tongues used to defeat him."

"You have seen Alduin's Wall." Arngeir sighed. "So you've fallen into the hands and propaganda of the Blades. That is not good, at all."

"You are mistaken, In Arngeir." Shanti echoed his sigh, then smiled. "I did meet with them, after the note one left under Jurgen's horn, and I regret that I had to demonstrate to her that I am Dragonborn by absorbing Vuljotnaak's soul before she would aid me. That is ... not a way to win my favor."

"Yet you still wish to learn Dragonrend, to defeat Alduin. That seems contradictory."

"Not really. I have given this much thought in the interim, Master. Killing him will save the other dovahhe, as well as the rest of Mundus, so it is not just acceptable, but necessary. Will you teach me Dragonrend?"

"I cannot." Arngeir shook his head at her expression. "I said 'cannot', because I do not know it. Its origins are lost in the mists of time. I can tell you, though, that the shout was created during the terrifying reign of the dragons and is a condensation of all the cruelty, fear and horror humans felt for dragons at the time. While their emotions are quite understanable, there is a danger that in absorbing the deep meaning of such a terrible Shout; it could warp you into sharing those evil feelings."

Shanti frowned. "Given my current feelings about dovah, I ... truly believe your misgivings are unfounded. Were they accurate, I should have felt satisfaction, at least, at the deaths of Vuljotnaak, Mulventoor, and Daanbiilok. Instead, I felt regret, and am pleased that Mulventoor remains conscious and willing to 'speak' to me." She hesitated. "And I thought you knew all the Shouts ever used."

"Not that one. As I said, it has been lost. Paarthurnax might be able to tell you more, if he thinks it appropriate."

"Then I need to speak to him."

Arngeir looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you should, at that. Come out to the courtyard with us, and we'll see if your Voice is yet strong enough for you to get through his protective mist."

"The mist that shrouds everything above High Hrothgar is for Paarthurnax's protection?"

"Indeed it is," Arngeir said. "Someone wanting to harm him might be able to avoid us, but to reach his perch, it's impossible to avoid the mist. He lairs at the very top, which is clear to the sun."

Shanti followed him into the courtyard, where the other three were waiting. Arngeir Shouted at the courtyard, and three Words appeared, Lok Vah Koor, Sky Spring Summer. Then he turned to her. "Do you understand these Rotmulagge as you must to use them?"

Shanti nodded. "It comes as naturally to me as to my winged sibs. I thank you for the knowledge."

"You're most welcome, of course." Arngeir smiled at her. "I think you'll find our Grandmaster is rather ... easy-going, for a dovah. Except for Alduin, he is the eldest, and I gather that even dragons - except, it would seem, Alduin - mellow with age. So go, and ... reassure him, if you would."

"Of course!" Shanti went to the entry to the path the rest of the way up the mountain, followed by her bodyguards, and Shouted. The mist cleared for a short way, and they began their climb. It wasn't as long as the Seven Thousand Steps, which Shanti was grateful for, since she had to Shout again and again, she estimated about every hundred steps. They encountered a couple of ice wraiths, but no other creatures, and eventually they broke through the last of the mist into bright sun.

They stopped briefly to rest, though Voranil went back in part-way, and returned with a bemused look on his face. When he rejoined the other two, he said, "That has got to be the most incredible spell I've ever analyzed. Would you believe the mist itself is enchanted, with a frost damage spell that's the strongest I've ever encountered. Not even resist frost enchantments or potions can stop more than a small percentage of the damage it inflicts. I would dearly love to meet the mage who designed and cast that spell."

"Unless I'm badly mistaken, you'll get to meet him as soon as we find Paarthurnax," Shanti said with a grin.

"Huh?" Bjorn looked at her blankly. "He's a dragon, not a mage!"

"Um, well, dohah _are_ mages. They have to be. That's how they talk and fly, you know."

"I didn't, actually," Bjorn said. "Until recently, dragons were just ancient tales - I never thought about how they did what they did. Or I should say, now, do what they do." He paused to give her a teasing look. "Of course, I could say the same thing about your type of Dragonborn!"

Shanti chuckled. "Divines, I was the same way about Dragonborns ... they were interesting songs and tales, no more, until I found out I _am_ one." She put away her kumiss bottle and stood. "If you two are rested enough, I'm anxious to meet him."

As it turned out, all they had to do was go around one more shoulder of rock, where Shanti caught sight of a Word Wall and approached it before she heard wingbeats. She stopped to watch Paarthurnax approach and land atop the Wall, then she bowed deeply. "Grandmaster Paarthurnax?"

"Geh, zu'u Parthurnax," the dovah replied. "Ahrk hi?"

*I believe you know who I am, Grandmaster, but ... I am Shanti Dovahkiin, and my companions are Battlemage Captain Voranil and Scout Sergeant Bjorn of the Imperial Legions.*

"Then I will speak Common, that they may understand our tinvaak." Paarthurnax settled his wings. "What would you have of me, Dovahkiin? You may speak freely; I promise not to take offense or consider you as snacks."

"I ... " Humor, from a dovah? That was something else her studies had missed, it seemed. "Ah ... I need some information from you, but ... what I would have of you most is friendship. If that is possible."

"Oh, it is quite possible, child, if you have the patience. Dovah are immortal, so we have no need to hurry things. Though I realize it is different for joorre." He took flight again, and landed beside them this time. "But there are still formalities which must be observed between dovah, such as proper greetings, which you may not know. So I give you Fire Breath." He Shouted at the Word Wall, and "Shul" appeared.

Shanti approached the Wall and absorbed it gratefully, glad to have the final word. Then she looked at Paarthurnax. "Now what?"

"By ancient tradition, the eldest speaks first. But this is a greeting, so that intent is appropriate, and will cause no harm. Your companions need not fear." Then he Shouted, "Yol ... Toor SHUL!" and they were enveloped in flame, but not burned. "Now you must return the greeting," Paarthurnax said. "If you do not have that degree of control, I will protect myself."

"I think I do, but I can't be sure, so please, protect yourself." When Shanti detected a ward spell, she returned his Shout, hoping his ward was unnecessary.

"Well done," he said then. "Your Thu'um is powerful, your control precise. Surprising in one so young, but praiseworthy. So, what information do you wish of me?"

"The Shout Master Arngeir called Dragonrend ... the one it's said you taught the first Tongues so they could defeat Alduin."

Paarthurnax snorted, his tone making it obvious he was laughing. "That is said, is it? Well, such a saying could hardly be more wrong. I did not teach them Dragonrend; they invented it themselves, and it is a Shout no winged dovah can ever learn. Before you ask, one created immortal is incapable of comprehending mortality, and - the little I can comprehend of that tells me forcing a dovah to understand mortality in full is the core of that Shout. It ... shocks one to the point he or she can no longer fly, and is vulnerable to mortal weapons."

"But you're vulnerable to mortal weapons anyway," Bjorn objected. "You can die. It's just not permanent unless Shanti or another dragon is nearby."

"True, which is the reason for my protective mist," Paarthurnax agreed. "I must stay alive until the Last Dragonborn defeats Alduin, if that is possible - and I must believe it is, or my entire life since the Wars is wasted."

"I will do my best to assure it was not, Grandmaster," Shanti said. "Though there are those trying to prevent me, which is why I must keep Voranil and Bjorn with me."

"Is this so?" Paarthurnax gave the impression of a frown, something he was physically incapable of. "Tell me about it. Perhaps I can aid you, or at least make suggestions."

"Well, let's see," Voranil said thoughtfully. "First we have the Stormcloaks, who almost succeeded at the Battle for Whiterun, where she was seriously hurt, and would have died except for the intervention of a skilled and powerful Breton mage. The Dark Brotherhood, a cult of assassins, we've taken care of ourselves. But that leaves a cult that worships someone called Miraak, that ambushes us at random intervals, and the Thalmor, who have an execution order out on her and do the same. Both groups can be difficult to defeat, and we usually come out injured. The missions we deliberately take on for training aren't usually as bad, but there are random dovah attacks, which can be even worse."

"This is ... not good. And none of you have the best of armor or weapons. I may be able to aid you there, unless you have moral objections to using body parts that are no longer of use to the living."

Shanti shrugged. "We do it all the time. The others perhaps not as much, but as a Khajiit, I live on meat. We cannot survive more than briefly, and in poor health, on plant food only. Why?"

"Because the scales and bones of dovah make the finest armor and weapons available in Mundus, of course, providing you can find a smith able to work them."

"But - I wouldn't use human skin to bind books, for instance, or Khajiit fur for a rug," Shanti objected. "No more would I use a brother's or sister's scales or bones for weapons or armor!"

That got a clearly-disgusted reaction from Mulventoor. * _Then you are still as foolish as a child ... which I suppose is to be expected, given your lack of age. I will expect you to return to my grave and recover what you can. You, of all people, require the best of weapons and defenses!_ *

"Yes sir." Shanti felt ... she wasn't sure, but "properly reprimanded" was definitely in the running. "I will do so next time I am near Solitude."

* _NO. As soon as you leave here. Youngest Sister, and hostess of my soul, do it for me, if not for yourself!_ *

Shanti sighed, and nodded to Paarthurnax. "Very well. Mulventoor has chided me as well, for not using what he left behind to my advantage. Though it ... still feels not quite right."

"Mulventoor is one you killed, and his soul remains aware?"

"I did not kill him, but I was close by when he died, so he ... joined me. Now he wishes me to return immediately to his corpse and recover what I need of bones and scales. Though I fear there may be few scales; most disappeared when his body ... vanished. Little but his skeleton remains."

"Joorre are strange," Paarthurnax mused, as quietly as a dovah could. "He wishes it, you need it ... I fail to see the problem."

"Then I will do it, despite my qualms," Shanti said, and sighed. "Back to what I came here for originally, though. You don't and can't know Dragonrend, and neither do the Greybeards, yet it sounds like it's essential for defeating Alduin. So how can I possibly learn it?"

Paarthurnax used a wing to gesture to where the snow seemed to shimmer. "You see that? The ... instability?"

When Shanti nodded, he continued. "That is the Tiid-Ahraan, the Time-Wound. It is where the first Tongues banished Alduin into the Currents of Time using what you call an Elder Scroll. If you enter it with one, I believe it possible for you to be returned to the time of Dragonrend's creation, and learn it from its creators."

Shanti frowned. "I suppose I have to find an Elder Scroll, then. Would you happen to know where one can be found?"

Paarthurnax snorted. "Such are beyond my ken. Perhaps a human would know, but I do not."

"Then ... one more question, if I may, before we leave?"

Paarthurax opened his jaws slightly, in what looked amazingly like a smile. "Ask what you wish, Youngest Sister. I will answer to the best of my ability."

Shanti smiled, hoping he could read Khajiit body language. "You leave yourself open, Elder Brother, but ... I would like to know how I can speak to other dovah, and Bormahu willing, convince them to stop preying on humans and their property. Cooperation would be much better for both."

"I agree, Youngest Sister, but as our youngest, and physically weakest, relative ... the only advice I can give you is to build up your strength and skills. As you are now, your words will have little impact. Though I will speak for you, if any ask. There were a few others who turned against Alduin at Kyne's behest, to aid the joorre. Though they may not be among those he chose to resurrect."

Shanti bowed respectfully. "I thank you, Elder Brother. It has been a great honor to meet the one who taught the first human Tongues, and even we Betmer owe you many thanks."

"And you are most welcome, tiny one. Now go and do what you must, knowing you will be welcome here any time you wish to visit."

"I will take advantage of that whenever I have time, Grandmaster, if you will permit me to establish a teleport point near your Wall. I believe tinvaak with you would be both enjoyable and productive."

Paarthurnax cocked his head, opening his maw slightly in what Mulventoor assured her was indeed the equivalent of a smile. "Establish your point, Youngest Sister, and please, return whenever you wish."

* * *

Shanti was smiling when they entered High Hrothgar after her meeting with Paarthurnax. Arngeir was waiting, looking ... worried? ... anxious?

But he relaxed when she smiled at him. "My Elder Brother is ... rather overwhelming, but I like him. Though after seeing him, I begin to worry for him." Shanti sighed. "Dov are immortal, but he seems ... old, in the way of joorre. Vodov. Intelligent beings who are not immortal. Joorre are any mortals, including beasts, so a different term for the intelligent ... at any rate."

Arngeir smiled, gently. "I understand, Dovahkiin. Yes, he seems old, but that is because he has held his position here for thousands of years, leaving only to hunt for himself or us. Once he is free to fly, he will regenerate as dov have for millennia. If you succeed, you will see Paarthurnax in his full strength once again."

"That would be wonderful! But he did tell me I must find an Elder Scroll, whatever those are, to access the Tiid-Ahraan and learn the Shout I need. Would you know anything about that?"

"I fear not," Arngeir replied. "Though you might be able to find out if you go to the College of Winterhold and speak to their librarian, Urag gro-Shub. He is said to be very knowledgeable about the Elder Scrolls." Arngeir paused. "Though he may have retired or died since the brief time I spent at the College. Though he was a powerful mage even then, and loved his books, so he may still have that position."

"Thank you. I will try that, then." Shanti teleported them home, then sighed as she and her bodyguards relaxed into their chairs with drinks. "With Winterhold still in Stormcloak hands, that's not really a very useful suggestion. Do any of you have other ideas?"

"Not really," Bjorn said. "Except maybe drop this part for now, until Tulllius has Winterhold under control. Divines know we have more than enough other projects we need to take care of."

"Very true, the first of which, Mulventoor insists, must be returning to his corpse to salvage bones and scales." Shanti hid a sigh. "I would prefer to return him to life, if that were possible. I do know the Resurrection Shout, from Alduin's use of it on Vuljotnaak."

"Why can't you?" Bjorn asked. "You know the Shout, and he's still aware of himself. I'd think he'd prefer his own body to sharing an unfamiliar one with you."

Mulventoor sent puzzlement. * _I do not understand, my overlord. Thuri. Giving up anything, once acquired, is not dovus.*_

"Not dragon-like?" She spoke aloud so the others could follow. "He says dovah do not give things away ... but I am not pure dovah, nor was I brought up as one. We vodov do that as a matter of course - we return what does not belong to us, as a rule, and we give gifts to those we care about. I have come to care for him a great deal, so if there is even a chance of returning him to his own body, I must make that attempt." She turned her attention to Mulventoor. "Do you know if it is even possible?"

* _What I know, with absolute certainty, is that it has never even been attempted, Thuri. But friend Bjorn is right; I would much prefer my wings and scales to your arms and fur ... though hands are very useful, I must admit. Probably why Bormahu intended dov and vodov as partners rather than rivals_.*

Shanti repeated that, then said, "So I will try. Perhaps he will remain my partner, even if I am successful in returning him to himself."

* _Of course I will, Thuri. I have taken you as thur; how could it be otherwise?_ *

"Then we will try as soon as I find your skeleton again. But if I am to raise you, I must leave your body intact. Else you would be ... lessened, like Paarthurnax."

* _Only briefly, Thuri, so loot what bones and scales you need. I will regenerate those you take, in a short time_.*

"Very well. We will take what we need, then ... though I doubt we could use any of the larger bones, many of which are larger than we are!" Shanti chuckled. "Tomorrow morning, then."

* _Ah, yes._ * Mulventoor's thought was tinged with humor. * _You poor vodov do need to sleep ... we only do so when we wish, out of desire, not need. Some day we will have to compare dreams_.*


	22. Mulventoor and Odahviing

.

Chapter 22 - Mulventoor and Odahviing

When they arrived at Mulventoor's remains, Shanti was awed again at the size of the skeleton. Dragons were becoming a common sight in the skies of Tamriel, but at the heights they usually flew, they looked no larger than birds. When you confronted even the skeleton of one on the ground, the impression was totally different; had they been the right shapes, you could have built a couple of houses from the bones.

Did she really have the power to restore someone so awesome? She had to believe it, for any chance of success. She enjoyed Mulventoor's presence in her mind, but that was coerced, and she would much prefer to have him beside her of his own will.

Well, he wanted her to scavenge his remains, so they did, finding more than she'd expected. A bit over a bushel of dragon scales ... quite a nice number, despite their size. But she restricted bone collection to nothing larger than a battle-axe, and only a few of those, plus enough sword-sized to make perhaps a dozen swords or maces.

When the scavenging was done, she knelt to pray, then rose and took a deep breath. "Slen TIID **VO**!"

She felt Mulventoor's soul struggling to leave her and rejoin his resurrected body, but he couldn't quite seem to untangle himself. So she took matters into her own hands ... and gave him a figurative shove. "Go! Be YOURSELF!"

The body shuddered, seeming to struggle for several minutes, then eventually ... just collapsed again, and Mulventoor gave a deep mental sigh. _*It was a valiant try, Thuri, but while your kaaz mind wanted to free me, your dovah soul refused. Perhaps if you had tried to release me immediately it would have been different, but we are too closely joined now.*_

 _*I am sorry, my friend. It must be difficult for you.*_

 _*I regret the loss of my body, yes - especially the power of flight. But your mind is not uncomfortable, and I am becoming accustomed to the differences. I will adapt, in time, as long as you can tolerate my presence_.* He projected wry amusement. * _Not that I would have any choice. We always adapt to our thur's ways and viewpoints_.*

He gave the impression of shaking himself like a wet cat. * _But this failure only means_ I _cannot be of any physical help. It does not mean that no other dovah can be. Your Thu'um is both powerful and precise, something dov respect. If you can find one who will listen long enough for you to issue a challenge, and you can defeat him or her in a Thu'um contest, you can gain an ally. Perhaps not a vahriin, one who takes you as thur - at least not while Alduin lives - but one like your bodyguards_.*

* _Which is all I could ask,_ * Shanti sent. * _But how can I find one willing to talk, rather than attack immediately, as they usually do? By report, at least. I was only attacked by two, and you are the third.*_

 _*Hmm. Do you know any names of resurrected or living ones?*_

 _*Only one resurrected one, and only three listed as Known to Live in the Atlas of Dragons, back in the Second Era. Odahviing, Krahjotdaan, Mirmulnir, and Ahbiilok.*_

 _*Krahjotdaan and Ahbiilok were killed in the Third Era,_ * Mulventoor sent. * _As far as I know, Mirmulnir still lives. So it would be between him and Odahviing. Of the two, Odahviing is least likely to ally with you, but the most powerful; after Paarthurnax defected at Kyne's urging, he became Alduin's primary lieutenant. So were I you, I would try him first. Should he defeat you or refuse to ally, even conditionally, you can try Mirmulnir._ *

"Okay, what just happened?" Voranil asked. "I mean, it obviously didn't work, but otherwise?"

Shanti summarized for them, then sighed. "I am going to take his advice, you know, and challenge Odahviing, then, if necessary, Mirmulnir."

"I don't like it," Voranil said, and Bjorn nodded agreement. "If either of them wins, you die. Are you certain your Thu'um is strong enough to defeat a dragon that history says was Alduin's top lieutenant?"

Shanti shrugged. "I cannot know in advance, but Mulventoor was confident enough to recommend it. And I have learned to trust him." She grinned. "It would be difficult not to trust one who lives in your mind and soul, after all. Nor is death inevitable in a dovah duel. Conditions are set in advance, and death is only one possibility. Transfer of captured souls is another, or ownership of slaves ... so it will be discussed first."

Voranil looked resigned. "All right, call him. Are there any formalities to issuing a challenge?"

Shanti thought briefly, then shook her head. "Surprisingly for such formal people, no. Calling one's name with intent issues the challenge, and the challenged is free to accept or refuse."

"Intent seems to be important with that language," Voranil said.

"It is crucial," Shanti replied. "I can use Flame Breath as either a greeting or a weapon, for example, with my intent being the thing that makes the difference. Other Shouts and Calls are the same." She raised her head and Called. "Odahviing!"

Moments later, a huge red dovah landed in front of them, staring for a moment at Mulventoor's body. Then he ducked his head politely. "Dovahkiin. You issue challenge. If you win, what do you wish?"

Shanti countered with another question. "What do you know of my situation, zeymahi?"

"Everything, of course." Odahviing snorted a laugh. "When a Dovahkiin is born, all of us who live pay very close attention. There is no one more dangerous to dov. Yet I decline your challenge, for reasons of my own, and choose to freely ally myself with you until you meet Alduin. That battle must not be prevented by either of the fanatic groups against you, Youngest Sister, or by our fronne, our kin. Or by simple rivals, such as the Stormcloaks. I will come at your call, and keep an eye on you when I fly, as well. Does that satisfy your challenge?"

The last question was a formality, so Shanti bowed. "It does indeed, my brother. I am glad to have your assistance."

"Be well, then." She'd neglected to ask if he'd help against the Stormcloaks if she weren't in danger, but she wasn't sure it mattered; General Tullius and the Fourth Legion were doing quite well without her help. She decided to venture into the city long enough to speak with him, her parents, and the Jarl - she had enough to buy Proudspire Manor, thanks to the loot she and her guards had found ... and, to her surprise, the generosity of a Legate's salary.

So she teleported the three of them to her hidden point outside Solitude, then they walked up to Castle Dour and into Tullius' War Room.

He smiled when he saw her. "Legate Shanti! It's good to see you're well. We heard some disturbing rumors that you'd been killed."

"We almost were, a couple of times, but we're fine. And I have what I think you'll find good news, sir."

"I could use some of that, Legate. And I have news for you myself, but it can wait. Go ahead."

"I have a dragon ally, sir. He's going to help protect me against the cultists and the Thalmor trying to kill me. Plus the Stormcloaks, of course. He didn't say anything about helping in the war, so we can't count on that, but he's interested in preserving my safety until I fight Alduin."

"That will do," Tullius said, smiling. "What does he look like, so I can warn against attacking him? And what's his name?"

"He is Odahviing, and he is easily recognized; he is the only pure red one. Geh, I would appreciate it if you would inform the Legion and Hold Guards that he is my ally, and not to be harmed."

"Geh?" Tullius looked briefly puzzled. "That means 'yes', from context."

Shanti nodded, her ear-tips warming. "Yes ... I am sorry, but Dovahzul is creeping more and more into my everyday speech. I will try to avoid it, but I cannot promise to do so completely, as I think in it these days."

"That's understandable, then," Tullius said. "I'd like to meet this Odahviing, if it's possible."

Shanti thought for a moment, then said, "I see no reason you could not. Get word to the Legionnaires and Solitude Guards that a red dragon approaching is not to be harmed, and I will Call him. In the meantime, I would like to speak to Jarl Elisif, then my parents."

"We'll talk again in the morning, then. That'll give both of us time to take care of what we need to. I think you'll be safe from the local Thalmor, given how the Legionnaires feel about 'their Dragonborn', but be careful anyway, would you?"

"Certainly, sir. I will see you then." And she should probably speak to Beirand on her way out of the Castle, so she left, and went to his shop, smiling when she saw him. "Beirand! Did Sayma and Kayd forgive you for being late, the evening I delayed you?"

Beirand chuckled. "Since it was for you, it wasn't a problem. Though Sayma did grumble a bit about the food getting cold. But we have plenty of time this afternoon, so what can I do for you?"

"I have a bushel or so of dragon scales I'd like to have made into armor for myself and Bjorn, Voranil if he wants it. Also bones to be made into swords or maces. If either is possible, of course."

Beirand gaped at her. "I'm good, but not the smith you want for something like that! You'd need the most skilled smith in Skyrim, and although I might claim to be at times, I know Eorlund Gray-Mane's better. Plus he works the Skyforge, with its higher temperatures that dragonscale and bone will probably need." He paused, smiling. "Though I'm deeply honored you thought of me first."

Shanti gave him a brief hug, then returned his smile. "All right. Give Sayma and Kayd my best, please? I need to go up to the Blue Palace for a bit."

"Gladly."

* * *

Up at the Blue Palace, she spoke to Falk Firebeard, bought Proudspire Manor, and made arrangements to have it furnished - he promised to have it livable, if not complete, by tomorrow evening - then, as promised, she approached the Throne to speak to Jarl Elisif.

Elisif rose as she approached. "Dragonborn! It's nice to see you again. You're well, I hope."

"Quite well, my Jarl," Shanti said with a smile. "You may have a dragon visiting your city tomorrow, if General Tullius can arrange to keep the Legion and Guards from attacking him. He is my ally, though not my friend ... yet, at least. I hope he will become so, in time."

"If he is your ally, he will be welcome," Elisif said. Her tone was a bit dubious, though, which Shanti could certainly understand.

"He is, and when a dovah gives his or her word, it is ... normally ebony-clad. He will not attack unless he is attacked first, and then I will aid his retaliation. As I said, we are allies. But I do not truly expect any problems."

"I hope not," Elisif said "I wouldn't have thought to have a non-hostile dragon in my city; what I had expected was to be fighting them off."

"You may well have to," Shanti cautioned her. "Odahviing is the only one who is my ally, at the moment, so remain extremely cautious of the rest. Fortunately, he is easy to distinguish."

"Understood. Maybe I can meet him later. In the meantime, I'll have Falk get the word out that the red dragon is not to be harmed."

"Thank you, my Jarl. Now, with your permission, I'd like to visit my parents."

"Granted, of course."

* * *

She got to her parents' quarters about half an hour before suppertime, alone. Voranil and Bjorn had chosen to stay in their own quarters, and catch up on gossip with their friends, despite the attraction of Darius' cooking. Her father wasn't home yet, so she settled for greeting Darius and accepting a glass of kumiss, then joining her mother in the dining room. "Mums - how are things at the College? I haven't heard anything awful about myself in their compositions, which is a relief."

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Because the instructors won't let them go beyond your journals, unless it's an obvious satire or exaggeration, like you having an affair with Sanguine or actually breathing real fire." She paused as Shanti gave her a Look. "All right, darling. So one or both of those is true?"

"Not the one about Sanguine ... I've never met a Daedric Prince, or ever want to. But breathing - or rather Shouting - fire is accurate. It's in the journals I brought to give you. I'll demonstrate a very mild version, if you like, once Dad gets home."

"Do I hear myself being referred to?" S'Jherek's voice sounded amused, and Shanti jumped from her chair to embrace him.

"Dad! It's so good to see all of you again!"

"And what are you waiting for my arrival to demonstrate?" He cocked his ears curiously.

"A very mild version of the Fire Breath Shout," Shanti said. "Very soft, and with the intent of a greeting, just to show Mums that not all the 'exaggerations' about me really are. That one, at least, is true, and I think I could take out a frost troll in one Shout if I were to use it at full volume with intent to harm."

"Then by all means, let us see the mild version!"

Shanti grinned. "I'm not sure just how small I can make it, but at 'greeting' level, you could have your hand in front of my muzzle and feel only mild warmth." She focused intent and, barely above a whisper, Shouted "Yol!" Cool flame extended less than a foot from her mouth, and she smiled.

Her father and mother exchanged glances, then Ko'Adanji sighed. "Dovah indeed. All right, I'll allow that part to be included. But I'd like to see the full Shout, at least once. Some place that would be safe, of course!"

"Divines, yes!" Shanti agreed. "There is no way I'd do full strength in the city!" She paused, suddenly making a connection between her mother and some of the older tales she'd read of the ancient cooperation between dov and vodov. "Um. Mums, would you mind going to the Castle courtyard with me in the morning? I'm going to be Calling a dovah I've made an alliance with, and back in the ... first cooperation, I call it ... dov had a high regard for vodov bards. If that's still true, you and the College could have a pretty important part to play in my ... Divines, it's far too early to call them plans, but maybe ... hopes?"

"After supper," S'Jherek said firmly. "We thank the Divines for Their blessings, then we eat, and _then_ we can talk about serious things. In the living room, not over the dinner-table."

"Of course, love," and "Yes, Dad," came from Ko'Adanji and Shanti respectively. The meal proceeded in peace, and the three, plus Darius, adjourned to the living room afterward.

Once everyone was settled, S'Jherek said, "And what are your hopes, then?"

Shanti half-frowned. "I'm making two assumptions here, either of which could be wrong. _If_ I'm able to defeat Alduin, and _if_ that defeat is enough to make me their new thur - overlord - I hope to re-establish the cooperation that existed before Alduin began to think of himself as a god on his own, rather than simply having a normal dovah's power as a child of Akatosh."

"You really think that's possible?" Darius asked.

"I think so, but I cannot be positive," Shanti replied. "There is simply too much that was not recorded during the first cooperation - or, perhaps, was destroyed during the Dragon Wars - but since Tiber Septim befriended dragons, and had one as one of his generals, I must believe a second cooperation is at least possible."

"That ... makes sense," S'Jherek said slowly. "And having your ally visit tomorrow is part of it?"

"Yes, and if Mums is willing to come along and maybe even perform, that could be a big help."

"But not one of our stirring ballads about how a Dragonborn would conquer," Ko' Adanji said. "Something a bit less warlike ... Huh!" She stood apruptly. "I need to go. Something I seem to remember from the early archives .. " Her voice trailed off as she left the room. "Maybe ... "

S'Jherek mock-scowled at his daughter. "Now you've done it - she'll be back in the morning, ready to meet your dragon-ally, but covered in dust and sneezing!"

* * *

Contrary to S'Jherek's teasing prediction, Ko'Adanji was in the Palace Dour courtyard with the others, clean and in performance robes, when General Tullius told Shanti that everyone had been alerted, and warned against firing on Odahviing.

"Everyone against the walls as much as possible, then," she said. "He is quite large, and may need as much room as we can give him."

When the courtyard was as clear as possible, she Called, "Odahviing!"

Moments later, he landed, looking around. "These are your people?"

When she nodded, he said, "Clothing, at least, has not changed that much since I was last alive. I recognize Legion armor, mage and Bard robes, and blacksmith garb. Will you introduce me?"

"Of course." She did so, and he exchanged a few words with Gereral Tullius, acknowledged Legate Rikke and Shanti's father, but then stopped when she introduced him to her mother, and ducked his head. "Bard Ko'Adanji. May I hope your guild has continued composing songs and tales - teyye -since I and my _winged_ " - he glanced quickly at Shanti - "kindred were banished from Taazokaan?"

"We certainly have," Ko'Adanji replied. "From your viewpoint, many of those compositions are probably ... unfortunate. But we have a few surviving from the early days that are still in use, a few quite popular."

"Mmm. Could you sing one of those, perhaps?"

"Gladly. This is one whose words we don't understand, but the tune is very comforting, so we use it as a lullabye - a song to soothe young children to sleep."

She began to sing, and Odahviing hummed along until she was done, then bowed his head again. "The words as you use them are ... incomprehensible, but I remember that song clearly, and it has been a pleasure to hear it again. I fell asleep to it ... oh, millennia ago, though it was originally a funeral song. Thank you for the memory."

"It was my pleasure, as well." Ko'Adanji bowed politely to her daughter's ally. She'd like to ask for the actual words, but this might not be the right time. "So where, from here, Lord Dragon?"

Odahviing winced visibly at that. "Please, Lady Bard. I think such a title, at this time, would be counterproductive. Though I do wish to speak to your General. Perhaps we can speak of music at a later time?"

"That would be my pleasure, and I step aside." Ko'Adanji stood aside, grinning at her daughter. "Are they always this polite?"

"To the best of my knowledge, yes," Shanti replied. "Courtesy is a matter of survival, as is knowledge of relative power. Insulting a dov with greater power than your own is suicide, all other things being equal."

"I see." Ko'Adanji chukled. "Well, it sounds like this discussion is going to turn military, so I'll take my leave."

When she did, Shanti turned to General Tullius. "And your news, sir"?

He smiled at her. "During a rescue operation, we managed to take control of Fort Kastav. That crippled Winterhold's military strength, and we should have the capital, what's left of it, no later than noon tomorrow. If they have over five guards, our intelligence is sadly awry."

Shanti returned his smile. "That is excellent news for my primary mission - I must speak to the Librarian of the College and find ... " She heard footseps approaching, and fell silent.

Tullius very smoothly took up the slack. "And that's not all, Lady Dragonborn. We have word of a Stormcloak caravan heading to resupply Fort Greenwall, in the Rift, and we're going to ambush it. Once we take the fort, which shouldn't be difficult since they lack supplies, Riften will be an easy target."

An Altmer voice spoke before anyone could reply. "What is this abomination doing in your headquarters, General Tullius?"

Odahviing cocked his head. "I am not an abomination, yuvonfahliil. As you should be able to recognize, I am a dovah."

"I wasn't talking about you, dragon." The Thalmor pointed to Shanti. I meant _that_. The enemy of the Dominion who claims to be Dragonborn. She has interfered in our operations, killed a number of our agents, one of her people stole several items from our Embassy, and we suspect she worships Talos, as well."

Odahviing looked at Shanti. It was impossible for her to be sure, given his facial structure, but she got an impression of amusement. "Are any of those true, Dovahkiin?"

"In fact, they all are. But the Dominion already has an execution order out on me, so worshiping Talos cannot make it any worse."

"Oh, we'll make you recant before you die," the Thalmor said. He signaled his men to move in, but Odahviing knocked them aside with a casually-extended wing, turning to Tullius.

"Are these your guests, as I am, General? If so, I owe them an apology, but they are not acting very much like guests."

"They are not. I'm afraid they were sent here under the White-Gold Concordat which ended the Great War. We're supposed to cooperate with them, and Thalmor treaty enforcers do have the authority to arrest even the Dragonborn on suspicion of Talos worship. But no, they are not my guests. "

"Ah. Thank you My knowledge of recent history is non-existent, since I was dead until a few weeks ago. But since they are not your guests, I can, without discourtesy to my host, treat them as they deserve." His attention went to the Justiciar, and he rose to his haunches.

"So. You are enemies to my formally acknowledged grah-briinahzin, ally. I would suggest that you take no action against her, lest I act against you."

"You heard the General - we are fully entitled to arrest her, and make her renounce Talos before she dies. The White-Gold Concordat gives us that power."

Odahviing shrugged his wings. "Dov are not bound by your Concordat. A dovah is bound only by his own will, or by his Overlord's. I have chosen to ally myself with Dovahkiin, so I will take action against any who attack her. I would strongly suggest you not do so. You will find the consequences unpleasant."

"I will ... think about it, dragon." The Justiciar collected his troops and returned to his headquarters.

"Oh, Divines!" Tullius exclaimed when they were gone. "Odahviing, that was marvelous. It may have negative consequences later ... but I wouldn't have missed it for Nirn itself!"

Odahviing ducked his head, gaping a dovah smile. "I am glad that it pleased my ally's ally. But I was quite serious. If they attempt to harm her, they will have to face me. In the meantime, is there anything I may do to aid my ally's ally? Disarm those at Fort Greenwall, or burn Riften, for instance? Or do you prefer to do it all yourself?"

"If you can disarm the fort's defenders, that would be a great help," Tullius replied. "I'd rather not have you burn Riften, though. It's in pretty bad shape as it is, and I'd rather not make the inhabitant's lives any worse than I have to, given His Majesty's choice for the next Jarl."

"It will be so, then." Odahviing shrugged again. "I go now, to visit with my brother Paarthurnax, then another friend. Rest well, all of you."

* * *

Britgrahreg always enjoyed her sky-dances with Odahviing, and this one had been no exception. When they were done, she asked, *Would you have time for tinvaak at my lair, my friend?*

*Certainly. You used to lair at what the joor called Skyborn Altar. Have you reclaimed it since your resurrection?*

*Of course. I have always liked that the joor saw fit to erect a shrine there to our Father. Fly with me there?*

When they landed, they settled side by side on her Word Wall. *Is this about anything in particular, or just conversation?*

*A particular subject,* Britgrahreg replied. *You responded to Dovahkiin's challenge. May I know why?*

Odahviing gave that serious consideration before nodding. *You may. I was nearby when she did something no dovah has dared. You are aware Mulventoor fell to her?*

*I am.*

*She tried to resurrect him, and came close to succeeding. Something only the thur of all dov can do, and yet she, a Dovahkiin with not even a single duel to her credit, nearly succeeded. I was ... most impressed.*

*She ... used the Overlord's Resurrection Shout? And almost succeeded. Hmm.* Britgrahreg fell silent, and Odahviing respected her need to think. It had taken him time to come to terms with that, himself.

*And her demands?* Britgrahreg said, after some time.

*Actually, she made none. After seeing her try to free a soul she had taken, I ... offered alliance without combat, and she accepted. After that attempt, I question whether she might not truly have a stronger Thu'um than Alduin, and I wish to preserve her for that particular challenge.*

*Ah. I understand. And I would agree. Perhaps ... perhaps we should spread this news to a select few. She may need such conditional allegiance from more than one dovah.*

*Make it a very select few, and I agree. But word of this must not get back to Alduin. I very much doubt she will be ready to face him for thurship for some time.*


	23. To Winterhold

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Chapter 23 - Winterhold

Before going to Winterhold, Shanti decided to stop in Whiterun to take Mulventoor's scales and bones to Eorlund and, if he thought he could make use of them, leave them with him to begin work on their armor. Since she didn't have a teleport point for Winterhold, and the weather was decent, they decided to ride the whole way.

They were about an hour out of Solitude when Shanti turned to Voranil. "Have you decided yet?"

"I'm still thinking I'll pass on armor, even if Eorlund can do something with these materials. I can use all the mage armor spells, and my robes are a lot more comfortable than your armor looks."

Bjorn chuckled. "Light armor is almost as comfortable as normal clothing, if it's properly fitted. Though heavy is an entirely different story. Still, in either case, you don't have to keep renewing it."

"I'm not sure about the first," Voranil demurred. "Though I must confess, to ride like this, I must wear leather trews under my robes, so you may have a point. And you definitely have one about the need to renew mage armor spells." He grimaced. "They do have a tendency to expire at the worst possible time."

"Maybe you can explain something I have never understood," Shanti said. "Exactly why do mages prefer mage armor, rather than the physical variety, given its disadvantages? I am ... sort of a mage, and I would never give up the best physical version I can afford in favor of something so ... temporary."

"Hmm. I've never thought about that," Voranil said. "It's always been a given, that mages wear robes and use mage armor, where warrior types wear physical armor."

They rode on for several moments in silence, then he spoke again. "Spellswords wear armor, even when they're quite capable of mage armor, though. So you may have a point." He sighed. "All right, have him make me a set, and I'll try it. If I don't like it, I suppose I can always sell it."

Shanti hid a smile. "Of course. And thank you for at least trying. I do not think you will be disappointed."

* * *

Eorlund looked at Shanti in disbelief when she handed him the scales and bones. "These look like the scales, at least, come from a dragon! How am I supposed to work with these?"

Shanti shrugged. "I have no idea. My smithing skills are rudimentary at best, while you are acknowledged by everyone I have spoken to as the best smith in Skyrim. I was hoping you would know."

"I don't ... no one does. I'm not sure there are even any records of it ever being done. But I'll send someone to the Imperial Archives in Cyrodiil to check, and if you're willing to leave these with me, I must admit such a challenge is intriguing. I'll start some experiments immediately."

"Thank you, and of course I will. The only other thing I could do is sell them as curiosities, and that strikes me as disrespectful to the dovah I took them from."

She sensed approval from Mulventoor, and hid a smile she couldn't explain to Eorlund, but the smith nodded. "I understand, Dragonborn. I'll see what I can do. In case I'm able to figure a way to work them, I gather all three of you will want full suits?"

"Yes, please. And weapons."

"Then I'll need to take some measurements. Let me get my cord, some paper, and a charcoal stick."

They waited while he went to a chest and dug out what he needed, then started taking the measurements. "It's going to take a while, even after I find out if I can work the scales and bone at all," he cautioned them. "You've fought dragons, so you know even better than I how tough they are. It may take some special equipment, and that could get expensive."

Shanti chuckled. "Our adventuring for my training is more profitable than I would have expected. Any extra expenses, as well as your regular charges, will be paid." She paused, thinking, then dug a pad out of her coin pouch - which was nearly empty these days. "Are you willing to take a personal promissory note?"

Eorlund looked surprised. "You use those? Certainly, I'd take one from you, as I would from the Jarl or a Companion, though few others."

Shanti smiled, then wrote on the special pad the Bank of Whiterun had given her when she'd deposited the vast majority of her gold. "Here is a thousand-septim advance, then. If you exhaust this without progress, send a courier, and we will return for a report. Or if you run into unexpected difficulties we may be able to help with, the same."

"I'll do that, Dragonborn. And I appreciate your confidence in me."

"And I, yours."

* * *

History said Winterhold had rivaled Solitude at one time, even been the capital of Skyrim for a time, but its size and prosperity had both been severely reduced by the Great Collapse about eighty years ago. What Shanti saw when they arrived was barely a village ... maybe four intact buildings, others that had fallen to either the Great Collapse or simple neglect. They stabled their horses, then had supper at the Frozen Hearth Inn, and rented rooms for the night. A bit to her surprise, no one showed any hostility to the Imperial soldiers relaxing in the inn along with the locals. When someone pointed out the new Jarl, Kraldar, she went over to introduce herself.

When she did so, he rose with a smile. "Honored to meet you, Lady Dragonborn," he said. "With the Empire's help, Winterhold will be back on its feet in no time."

She purred softly at that comment. "I hope so. My history books say Winterhold was most impressive prior to the Great Collapse, and it would be good to see it that way again."

"My sentiments exactly. And unlike my predecessor, while it's hard to recover from something like the Great Collapse, I believe Winterhold can do it."

"With proper leadership, I would tend to agree. Though you may need ... er, magical aid. I apologize if that is a touchy subject for you."

Kraldar chuckled. "It was for Korir, but I believe the College of Winterhold is truly an asset to our city... err, town. In fact, I have a very close relationship with Savos Aren, the current Arch-Mage. I plan to confer with him in the next couple of days. Does your reason for being here have something to do with the College?"

Shanti purred again. "Indeed. I need to speak to Urag Gro-Shub, or whoever the current Librarian is."

"That's still Urag. He's a mage himself, so he has a magically-augmented lifespan. Give him my greetings, if you would, when you see him."

"I would be happy to."

* * *

The following morning, they went to the College, but were stopped at the foot of the ramp leading up to it by an Altmer woman in the red robes of a Destruction mage. She stopped them, and asked, "What do you seek here? If you wish admission as students, you will have to pass a test to show magical ability, so we know the College won't be wasting its time trying to train you."

"We are not here to become students," Shanti told her. "Voranil is a battlemage of long standing, Bjorn has so little magica it is undetectable, and while I plan to study here when time permits, that is not now. I am Legate Shanti Dragonborn, and I merely wish to speak to your Librarian."

"Very well." The woman smiled. "I am Faralda, the College's Destruction Master. Be welcome to the College, Dragonborn and friends. I'll guide you up to the College proper, but then I have to return to my duties, so Master Wizard Mirabelle Irvine will show you anything else you want to see. I hope that's satisfactory."

"Quite so," Shanti replied. As they walked up to the College proper, she noted that the road? ... causeway? ... bridge? whatever you'd call a narrow way up over an ocean to a mountain island, anyway ... had been damaged, parts of the pavement and walls gone. So the College hadn't escaped unscathed, despite what was generally thought in the Hold captial below.

Once inside the walls, she was impressed again. The courtyard was dominated by a large statue, probably the Master Mage Shalidor who was credited with a number of accomplishments, from the Maze in Labyrinthian to the College itself.

They found the Master Wizard between the statue and what looked like the College's main hall arguing with a Thalmor mage - here, undoubtedly, a Justicar. shanti swore under her breath, then joined them. "Master Wizard Irvine? I am Legate Shanti Dragonborn, and Master Mage Faralda said I should ask you to show me to Librarian Gro-Shub."

The Altmer looked both furious and murderous, but managed to keep himself under control. "I will leave you to your business, Master-Wizard. I have no desire to associate with that one." He left, his posture stiff and seeming offended.

"Thanks for saving me from his company, Lady Shanti," Mirabelle said. "He's supposed to be an advisor to the Arch-Mage, but truly, the way he pries into everything, most of us think he's a spy instead." She paused. "Nor do I approve of his attitude toward you. Is it true you're the subject of a Thalmor execution order?"

Shanti chuckled. "It is. I have been attacked by them twice, and carry a copy of the order around with me. The first one I gave to Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun."

"Hmm. If I may borrow the copy you carry , I'd like to show it to the Arch-Mage while you're talking to Urag."

"I see no reason to refuse." Shanti dug into her pack, and handed over the order. "I would like it back afterward, please."

"Of course. Now if you'll follow me, I'll show you to the Arcaneum. Urag's rather gruff, not to mention very protective of his books, but once you get used to him, he's really quite nice."

"I will try to reserve judgement, then." Shanti followed Mirabelle into what she was informed was the Hall of Elements.

"This Hall has a rather odd geometry," Mirabelle warned her. "You can get to the Arcaneum by going through the right-hand door and up a single flight of stairs, then up the next flight to the Arch-Mage's quarters, or through the left-hand door, directly to the Arch-Mage, if you need to get to him quickly. Either way, the next flight takes you to the roof of the Hall. So ... odd geometry. You've been warned."

"So I have, and since I have no reason at present to speak to the Arch-Mage, I will simply go left." She paused. "I do thank you, but I would really like to speak to Urag as soon as I can."

Mirabelle smiled. "I can understand that. Go right ahead, and don't let him intimidate you. As long as you treat his books with respect, he'll treat you the same way."

* * *

Even though she'd known to expect an Orc, it was still a bit jarring for Shanti to see an elderly one sitting behind a librarian's desk, in a clearly well-cared-for library. A bookish Orc just wasn't something anyone would expect!

She almost chuckled when he greeted her with, "You are now in the Arcanaeum, of which I am in charge. It might as well be my own little plane of Oblivion. Disrupt my Arcanaeum, and I will have you torn apart by angry Atronachs." It was obviously a set speech, because his tone changed, he smiled, and said, "Now, Dragonborn, may I assist you?"

"I hope so. I am looking for an Elder Scroll, and I was told you could help me with finding one."

"An Elder Scroll, is it?" The Orsimer looked thoughtful. "What do you know about Elder Scrolls?"

"Other than the fact they exist, and I am supposed to find one? Almost nothing. I would appreciate anything you would be willing to tell me."

Urag smiled slightly. "Your courtesy becomes you, young lady. An Elder Scroll is an instrument of immense knowledge and power. To read an Elder Scroll, a person most have the most rigorously trained mind, or else risk madness. Even so, the Divines usually take the reader's sight as a price."

Shanti shuddered. "I am told I will need to find and read an Elder Scroll in order to face Alduin, but if reading it blinds me, I will be unable to fight him."

Urag studied her for a minute or so,, then slowly said, "Have you ever considered that if you're fated to fight Alduin, the Divines won't allow any of the requirements for you to do so, to at the same time prevent you from doing so?"

"What you're saying is that if I must find and read an Elder Scroll to fight Alduin, it won't blind me, because then I won't be able to fight him?" Once she'd restated it, it seemed glaringly obvious, but still ...

"Precisely," Urag said, in a surprisingly soft voice for an Orc. "Wait there - I think I remember a couple of books that might help you." He stood, leaving his desk for one of the locked book-cabinets around the Arcaneum walls. He unlocked it, studying titles for several minutes, then returned and put two volumes on the desk. "Honestly, I don't know how much help these will be, but they're about all we still have. Take a look."

Shanti opened the first one, _Effects of the Elder Scrolls_. It was both discouraging and reassuring, since her lack of knowledge of the Scrolls put her in the first group the author mentioned. That was the Naifs, who could neither learn from nor be harmed by the Scrolls, since they didn't know enough about them for either to happen.

The second book was another case entirely. It was poetic in a way, with its talk of oceans and birds, and acorns as tree-eggs, but as far as solid information went, it was a total loss, and she sighed as she returned it. "My mother might like this, as a teaching volume for poesy at the Bard's College, but as far as I am concerned, it it useless gibberish."

"Your mother's a Bard? I can have my scribes make a copy for her, if you'd like. Ten gold ought to cover the materials and their pay. I won't ask for overhead to be covered, given your position. But who is she?"

"Ko'Adanji." Shanti smiled. "I would appreciate that." She handed him the cash.

"Done, then - I'll have a copy to her within a week." Urag sighed. "That volume's from Septimus Signus. He was getting ... ah, rather odd ... even before he disappeared maybe ten years ago to head north and devote himself to the investigation of a Dwemer artifact he found in an ice cave. I haven't seen him since, and we used to be close. Still, he was the best scholar on the Elder Scrolls this College has ever had."

"Perhaps I ought to visit him, then. Though if he is as incoherent as his book, it may do me little good. Still, I must try."

"Tell him hello from me, if you find him. He may appreciate it if he remembers me, and I definitely will."

"Certainly. We will return with ... anything that results from our talk, if we find him."

* * *

It was a cold and sometimes wet slog north from the College to Septimus' outpost. The Sea of Ghosts was mostly frozen over, but they occasionally ran into melt puddles, and sea winds seemed to get through their frost-resistance spells more than land ones did, so by the time they found the small triangular door to Septimus' place, all three were chilled and looking forward to a respite.

Unfortunately, the only respite they got was from the wind. Septimus was ... not much of a host, to put it mildly. His only interest, once Shanti mentioned the Elder Scrolls, was talking about them, and he'd become even more incoherent since writing the _Ruminations_. When they managed to extricate themselves from his ramblings, Shanti had added a blank Lexicon and something Septimus had called an Attunement Sphere to the contents of her pack. Apparently they were to go to someplace called Alftand, then to someplace underneath that was called Blackreach, and finally to the Tower of Mzark.

None of them knew even the names of any of the three places they were supposed to seek out, so they returned to the College, in search as much of warmth and food as knowledge. Unfortunately for them, Urag had already gone to bed, and the College had no room, so Mirabelle sent them down to the Frozen Harth Inn, which had only one room open, and a thin stew for supper.

Still, the stew was hot, and the inn warmer than outside, thanks to the firepit. Shanti decided to pass on the room, though Voranil and Bjorn offered to let her have the bed, and settled down in her bedroll next to the firepit's comfortable heat. She was purring as she pulled the edge of the bedroll up over her shoulder. They'd see Urag in the morning right after breakfast, and if he could give them directions to Alftand, head there immediately.


	24. Search for an Elder Scroll I

.

Chapter 24 - Search for an Elder Scroll I

Shanti dreamed. It wasn't a normal dream, either reviewing the day's events or rambling through random incidents throughout her life. No, this was somehow real, even though it felt otherwise.

She was observing a throne room like none she'd seen in her waking life. It was huge, but notable more for its occupants than for its appearance, which was as impressive as she'd heard the Imperial Throne Room was.

Her attention focused on the throne's large inhabitant - not a giant, but even sitting, he gave the impression of being even larger than Farkas. That was confirmed when he stood and bowed slightly in her direction. "Welcome to the Halls of Order, Lady Shanti Dovahkiin," he said in a deep, vibrant voice. "You will soon have your first encounter with one or two of my subjects, so the time has come for me to establish some rules for them, which you should hear as well."

He gestured at the beings standing - or in the case of a mass of tentacles with entirely too many eyes, floating - in front of his throne. "These have an unfortunate habit of claiming mortals as their champions. In most cases, that is acceptable; it gives them something to do other than making yet another tiresome attempt to either curse, or in some other way weaken, me."

Shanti started to ask for an explanation, but he shook his head, smiling at her. "You need not ask, Lady Shanti. I am extremely good at observing, evaluating, and drawing logical conclusions. You are visiting Oblivion at my behest, and these before you are the Daedric Princes. I am Jyggalag, their King. I have predicted for some time that when the time came, my counterpart in Aetherius - your father Akatosh - would send a Dragonborn of a character similar to yours to face his wayward son." He paused, smiling gently. "Although it is not necessary, you will wish to carry on a ... more conventional conversation, I gather. I can adapt to that."

"Ah. Thank you, Your Highness." Shanti took a deep breath. "Then you know we on Nirn believe they did curse you, to become the Madgod Sheogorath?"

Jyggalag chuckled. "They tried, but by then it was too late. Their curse failed, and I retained my sanity. Sheogorath is a special creation of mine, to meet mortal expectations the others were actually able to create. I am, to some degree, what humans would consider as a King among the Princes." He paused, smiling. "Now, I deduce from your character and actions that you would like to restore the order and cooperation that Alduin destroyed."

That wasn't a question, but Shanti nodded. "Yes, Highness."

"And I approve. The chaos his destruction of the world would bring offends me. But I cannot help you directly. We did not help in the creation of Mundus, so I can have only a small part in its preservation, and that bit, working through my subjects here, or through dreams like this one. Until you learn Dragonrend, at which point I will give you something that will render any claims on your soul meaningless. Listen, now. After I have addressed them, you will wake, and remember nothing of this."

He turned to his subjects, a couple looking rebellious, a couple more only reluctant. "I have a few things to announce," he said. "The Dragonborn is off limits to soul-claiming, though you may still ask her to complete quests for you. Is that understood?"

He got murmurs of agreement from all present, though Mehrunes Dagon growled. "Keeping the mortal for yourself, Master?"

The tall, steel-clad figure was silent for a moment, then spoke so softly the others had to concentrate to hear him. "Not precisely, just denying her soul to ... any but herself. I teach that even mortals are entitled to free will, but I have chosen to ... modify hers, in a single way. Her father objected briefly, but I was able to persuade him not to resist. You all know her destiny."

Again, he got assent from everyone, and nodded. "Then you will obey, like it or not. Her soul may separate from her body temporarily at times, but it may not be claimed by any other entity. Should you forget, or try in spite of this warning, I can and will retaliate. My counterpart's servants do not take souls, simply guide them, so this discussion would be moot in Aetherius."

"But will she be able to take on our quests if she decides to? As long as we don't try to claim her soul in return?" Nocturnal asked.

The ruler of Oblivion shrugged. "Under those circumstances, yes. And you will undoubtedly find her willing to help at least some of you. At this point, her dragon side is still under the control of her Khajiit side. And must remain this way, if she is to fulfill her Father's will, and my desires for her." He paused, smiling slightly. "Though Khajiit and dovah, as originally created, have so much in common that there may be no internal conflict when I grant her what she may regard as either a gift or a curse. And I will send an observer to insure you follow my rules."

* * *

When Shanti woke, she purred. The fire-pit's warmth had died down a bit overnight, but she had a vague memory that she'd had a reassuring dream, so she woke up with a smile, despite the need to go someplace she had never heard of until the previous day.

Alftand would be her first exploration of a Dwemer site, and as it turned out, Bjorn's as well, so while they had breakfast, Shanti asked Voranil for a briefing. "What should we expect?"

"Well, in a couple of ways, they're the nicest to go through," the Altmer said thoughtfully. "They're usually clean, except for an occasional disabled automaton or some scrap metal. They're also well-lit, with dwarven lamps that still put out bright light after all these centuries, and the floors are smooth."

"That part sounds promising," Bjorn said. "Now what's the bad part?"

"Traps, to start with. Then you have the automatons, from the spiders that appear to primarily do maintenance work but will attack, through spheres that seem to be the equivalent of soldiers or guards, and definitely attack, up to the Centurions, which are the strongest, but don't usually roam around. They're usually in their docking stations, but they attack if approached or attacked. Then there are the ballistae, as difficult in their own way as the Centurions."

"Hmm." Shanti thought about that for a moment. "Anything else? I think I remember hearing something about some sort of blind creature that roams Dwemer ruins."

"Falmer, yes," Voranil said with a sigh. "They're usually found in the deepest parts of Dwemer ruins, them and their chaurus livestock. Divines willing, we'll be able to find a way around them."

"We can hope," Shanti agreed. "So let's get going - I need to get that Elder Scroll to learn Dragonrend. It will help against other dragons as well, I assume, not just Alduin."

"That would seem a reasonable assumption," Voranil said. "The early Tongues had a lot more than him to worry about, even after he was banished. So, ride or walk?"

"Walk," Shanti said promptly. "We don't know that there will be any place to keep the horses safe while we're searching for the Scroll, and I do not care to lose any of them to predators."

Bjorn grinned. "I'm sure the Legion appreciates that, even if we don't!"

"Oh, one more thing," Voranil said. "I know you both carry swords by preference, and those are usually best against living creatures and some of the undead, but against the automatons, I'd recommend a blunt weapon, preferably with a shock enchantment. Even a mace is better than a sword, and a warhammer is even better. Though neither of you are big enough to be at your best with a warhammer."

"I have a mace," Shanti said. "My gift from Jarl Elisif when she made me her Thane. It has Fiery Soul Trap rather than Shock, though. I can carry it on my right and Dragonbane on my left, then."

"Still better than a sword," Voranil said. "Bjorn?"

"I'll have to check at the general goods store ... or maybe with the armorer, now there's a Legion presence here. I'm sure I can find something."

* * *

When they got to Alftand, there wasn't much to it, on the outside. Two dilapidated shacks, lacking doors and parts of their structures, and some destroyed tents with bedrolls. They checked those out, finding nothing in the southernmost shack, but an "Expedition Manifest" and a chest with minor loot in the northern one. There wasn't much to the manifest but a list of personnel and a comment that the expedition was going to try sheltering from an oncoming storm in a crevice one Yag had found.

Shanti spotted the crevice a bit north of the shack, and then a set of catwalks, so it seemed the expedition had succeeded in that much, at least. She made her way along the catwalks, to find herself at the entrance - not surprisingly - to an ice cave.

Inside, it looked like the transfer from camp to ice cave had been made in a hurry, because barrels and crates were scattered around with no apparent effort to organize anything. Further in things were a bit better, but not much, and the cooking spit over an unlit fire had been knocked over. Still, they found a journal written by Sulla, the expedition leader, that was some help. They'd been in a great hurry to get as much as they could into the crevice, and had lost several laborers, which probably explained the disorder in the early part.

They kept going, but things clearly hadn't improved for the expedition. The next thing they found was a blood-splattered camp, its fire likewise unlit, and abandoned bedrolls. Further on, past a wooden wall that had Shanti wondering how it had gotten there, the trio heard Khajiit voices in the distance, sounding like they were arguing, but not even Shanti could make out the words.

A little bit later, they came to an area that had obviously been constructed of dressed stone. There was a damaged metal construct on the floor, and Voranil chuckled. "The remains of one of their spiders. If you plan to do much smithing, you might want to grab as much of the scrap metal as you can - it's a whole lot cheaper this way than buying it from a smith, though you may need to rent the use of a smelter to render it into usable ingots."

"I do hope to improve my smithing enough to at least maintain my own armor and weapons, plus yours and Bjorn's. Even though Legion armorers will do so without charge ... as you said of alchemy, sometimes it is useful to be able to do so in the field, where experts are unavailable."

Voranil smiled at her approvingly. "It's nice to hear that, Shanti, and I think it's a good idea. I know absolutely nothing about smithing, so even if yours is rudimentary, as you told Eorlund, it's better than mine."

"Then we will take all the scrap we find and can carry," she decided. To her delight, the next thing they found was a workbench with two more dismembered spiders, and she collected more metal, some dwarven oil for alchemy, and a filled lesser soul gem. There were also some research notes, which didn't provide much help, but she took them along for Urag anyway.

They ran across a couple more of the Dwemer spiders, resulting in more scrap metal, another filled soul gem, and a few parts that weren't exactly scrap, but should be salable if she couldn't find a use for them. Of course, even the linen wraps found in draugr areas were salable; the question was whether the few coppers they got were worth the effort of carrying them out.

They continued, and were abruptly confronted by a Khajiit, who attacked them screaming about bare-skins and skooma. Shanti sighed when Voranil blasted him with a lightning bolt. Yes, it was necessary, but ... she still didn't like it. And when they rounded the corner, they found another Khajiit corpse, with a backpack and journal beside him. The backpack held only empty bottles for skooma, but the journal told a sad tale.

"JZhar, here, was trying to wean his brother off a skooma addiction by distracting him with this expedition. Obviously, it didn't work, but I must admire his attempt." Shanti swore, an expletive that didn't translate well into Common. "Skooma, and those who deal in it, are below contempt, though I can feel only sympathy and pity for its victims."

She closed the two Khajiits' eyes, then covered them with nearby, if bloody, blankets. Cremation was a Nord custom, not a Khajiit one, and she wasn't sure she'd even want to use Fire Breath in these ruins, so she had to be satisfied with the little she could do.

When she was done, her proper prayers said, they went north. That led them to a room lit by Dwemer lamps, with pistons moving back and forth. She was looking around with considerable interest when two iris-looking plates turned out to be openings instead, releasing spheres that unfolded into humanoid upper parts with one arm a sword, and the other something she couldn't quite make out. They attacked immediately, and she had to defend herself.

She found herself glad Voranil had recommended a mace. She wasn't as comfortable with it as she was with a sword, but it was definitely more effective against these metal creatures than a blade would have been. He'd said shock was most useful against them, so even though the basic - and fairly weak - version was all she had, she cast sparks repeatedly while bashing at the thing with her mace. Voranil, who had much stronger spells, finished his off quickly and came to her aid.

When it fell with a clang, still sparking, she sighed in relief, relaxing slightly. "So that's one of their warrior class. It's tough, too!"

"Not as bad as a centurion, but bad enough, yes." Voranil chuckled. "They usually have pretty good loot, though. Metal, of course, usually dwarven oil that can be used in alchemy, crossbow bolts, and sometimes gems or soul gems."

"And yours had all of those," Bjorn reported, joining them and starting to check out the second sphere. "This one, no gems or oil, but the metal, bolts, and a filled lesser soul gem."

"And I found that I need a stronger shock spell," Shanti said ruefully. "Or a Lightning Breath Shout, like the Fire Breath one."

* _Lightning Breath?_ * Mulventoor sent, her comment having attracted his attention. * _That one has not been used in ... ages, except by hatchlings, and those are extremely rare. Storm Call is much more powerful, and I would be happy to teach it to you._ * He sent amusement. * _You have learned from Paarthurnax, and from Alduin himself, from outside. I am ashamed to say that until now, it did not occur to me that you might be able to learn from me, within you._ *

"Nor to me," Shanti said, then explained to the other two what was going on. "Though I have my doubts about something called Storm Call working very well indoors," she added.

* _A good point,_ * Mulventoor admitted. * _And for one who travels with companions, perhaps not the best choice even outdoors, unless they can protect themselves from lightning strikes._ *

"Which I certainly can't," Bjorn said when she repeated Mulventoor's words.

"Neither can I, at least not for long," Voranil agreed. "Even a Greater Ward won't hold long under that kind of punishment."

* _Very well. Lightning Breath it shall be. Hear and learn, Youngest Sister: Qo Nos Paal. Lightning Strike Foe. It is much less powerful than Storm Call, perhaps as powerful as the vodov Lightning Storm spell. It should be satisfactory against these automatons, though_.*

When Shanti passed that information along, Voranil smiled. "Not too shabby, not at all. Much better than simple Shock, that's for certain. I'm pretty sure you'll get a chance to test it before too long."

"I am sure I will," Shanti agreed.

They continued, dodging several traps, but deliberately not avoiding two of the spheres they could have easily gotten past, so Shanti could test her new Shout. She was very happy to see it was as effective as what Voranil had used earlier, maybe more so. "That is marvelous!" she exclaimed happily. "Now at least I can hold my own against these things."

She had to do exactly that a few times as they made their way deeper into the ruins, finding loot along the way - getting to some of which helped her improve her lockpicking. When she saw a cord running from one chest-lid to a strange-looking lock at the cord's bottom, she turned her attention to the lock, and opened that first. When she straightened to open the chest, Bjorn caught her attention, smiling.

"Good going," he complimented her. "I'd have pointed it out if you'd started to open the chest first, but you spotted it for yourself. And you're getting better at spotting hidden pressure plates and trip wires, as well."

Shanti's ear-tips warmed at the compliment, and she returned his smile. "You are a good teacher. Traps were, of course, mentioned in Junior League training, but hardly emphasized, because few of us would be expected to have to deal with them."

"And you're a good student," Bjorn said. "You learn well under pressure, which is unusual."

Voranil chuckled. "Save that for once we're out of here, all right? I don't really like the looks of this shaft, but my clairvoyance spell says that what we're after is down that way."

Shanti cast her own, and nodded. "Let's go, then. There's a road down." She led the way, but stopped abruptly when she saw a white figure a bit further along the road. "What is that?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Falmer," Voranil replied, just as quietly. "Blind, but good hearing. Hard to sneak past. It seems we're not going to be able to avoid them, the way I'd hoped. Do you want to try sneaking, or just barge through?"

"Barge through," Shanti decided almost immediately. Despite her training in the Thieves' Guild and what she'd learned from Bjorn, her ability to move stealthily was still what she'd rate as amateurish. So they descended with magic and weapons ready, but she couldn't restrain her curiosity. "And Falmer are what?" she asked softly.

"They started out as Snow Elves, early descendents of the Aldmer. They had a thriving civilization for a long time, but eventually the Nords became so strong they had to flee, begging help from the Dwemer. They got it, but at a terrible cost. They were forced to eat a fungus that deprived them of their sight, then they were enslaved. As time passed, they changed further, until they became what you see. It's sad, really. If they could regain themselves ... " His voice trailed off, then became brisk again. "Anyway, as they are now, they attack just about anything except other Falmer and their chaurus - insects they use as livestock."

Shanti frowned at that. Well, if they attacked everything except each other and their livestock, there wasn't much point in trying a peaceful approach. So, when Bjorn glanced at her inquiringly, his bow raised, she nodded, drawing Dragonbane. It might not be as heavily enchanted against everything else as it was against dragons, but it was a nice sharp blade, and its shock enchantment would help.

He drew and fired in one smooth motion, and the Falmer fell with an arrow in its throat. They advanced, making as little noise as possible, but it was still loud enough to attract more Falmer. They fought their way past several groups of them, some emerging from huts made of a material Shanti wasn't familiar with.

They kept descending the curving ramps, fighting Falmer and a couple of chaurus on the way, until they arrived in a huge central chamber. Voranil pointed out a gigantic metal humanoid standing in some sort of an arch. "Centurion," he said grimly. "I was hoping we could avoid a fight with one of these. But since it doesn't look like that's going to be possible, a hint if it gets into melee range: get as close to it as you can. It can't lower its arms or tilt its head to attack anything below its shoulder level."

"That is good to know," Shanti said. "Between your thunderbolt spell and my new Shout, I hope we can avoid that, though."

"That makes both of us. If the Divines are kind, we can hit it a couple of times before it starts moving. Give us a count-down, Bjorn, if you would, so we cast and Shout at the same time."

"Right. On three - one, two, THREE!"

Voranil's dual-cast of the powerful shock spell and Shanti's simultaneous Shout had an unexpected effect. The arch the Centurion stood in started to crackle and throw off sparks, and the Centurion ... exploded in another shower of sparks, forcing them back until the sparks and its twitching stopped.

"What in the Names of the Nine was _that_?" Bjorn asked, sounding shaken. "I've never seen or even heard of anything like that."

Shanti was equally baffled, and she turned to Voranil for an explanation, but he shook his head. "I've been fighting those things for almost a century, and I'm with Bjorn - never seen or heard of anything like that. The Dwemer may've been able to explain it, but I certainly can't. A combination of mer and dovah powers? A weakness in this particular automaton or its connections? Something else? We may never know."

"We will have to report it to Librarian Urag," Shanti said. "Even he may not have any information, but it is worth trying. In the meantime, shall we continue?"

As they were looting the Centurion's remains, a mostly black-furred Khajiit with spots of orange so deep they were almost red, wearing a scholar's robe, entered the room. "This one heard - oh!"

Voranil whirled, his hands glowing as he charged a spell. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The strange Khajiit raised his hands. "Be easy, please. This one is no threat. Khajiit is S'Wynn, a scholar of the Imperial Academy. He is here to study the Dwemer, and came running when he heard an explosion."

He approached the downed Centurion, then moved to the frame it had been standing in. "Most interesting," he said after a couple of minutes' study. "This one would not have thought such a thing possible. How could you possibly have overloaded the charging gantry, especially so much that it passed the overload on to its Centurion?"

Voranil lowered his hands, letting the spell subside. "You know how those things work?"

"Some of them, yes, but by no means all," S'Wynn said, sounding rueful. "This one doubts it is possible for any single person to understand everything about the Dwemer and their works. But Khajiit has studied them for many years, and can claim at least a basic understanding."

"Then perhaps you can help us," Shanti said. "We are looking for something called the Tower of Mzark. If you are familiar with this place, could you tell us how to get there?"

"This one would be happy to show you, beauteous one, in exchange for the knowledge of how you were able to destroy this Centurion. And the knowledge of who you are, of course."

Shanti purred briefly at the compliment, then smiled. "Of course. I am Shanti Dragonborn, and these are Battlemage Captain Voranil and Scout Sergeant Bjorn of the Imperial Legion. As for how we did it, Captain Voranil cast dual thunderbolts at the same time I used a Lightning Breath Shout."

"Ah, so." S'Wynn returned the smile and bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Dragonborn. And that would explain it, yes. Assuming the Centurion was fully charged and simply maintaining that charge, which is perfectly reasonable, such powerful extra inputs ... yes, more than enough to cause such an overload. Khajiit thanks you for adding to his knowledge, and will happily guide you to the Tower."

Voranil frowned. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have a scholar along, Shanti? No insult to S'Wynn intended, but scholars aren't known for martial skills."

"True, but he's been here longer than we have, it seems, and survived, which is proof enough that he knows how to take care of himself."

"The beauteous one speaks truly," S'Wynn said. "This one has no skill with any weapon save a dagger, nor does he have more than the most basic skill in destructive magic, but he can claim adequate skill in the more subtle schools. Khajiit has survived Alftand, and explored parts of Blackreach itself, which is how he knows the Tower of Mzark. He will not hamper you."

"Let us finish up here, then, and we'll get going," Voranil agreed.


	25. Search for an Elder Scroll II

.

Chapter 25 - Search for an Elder Scroll II

It turned out that they were almost at the entrance to Blackreach, when S'Wynn led them up to a gate above the platform where they'd found the Centurion. When they opened the gate, though, they heard a man and woman arguing.

"Sulla, look," the woman was saying. "The passage is open, wait ... there's someone down there!"

"No!" the man yelled. "Blackreach was to be my discovery!"

"Sulla, let's just get out of here," the woman insisted. "Hasn't there been enough death?"

"Oh, of course you want me to leave," the man said sarcastically. "Just waiting for me to turn my back. So you can have all the glory for yourself!"

Then came sounds of swords clashing, so the four held back until the fight stopped. When they went on, they found the woman dead and the man so badly injured they could do nothing for him, gasping his last breath as they approached.

Shanti said a brief prayer for them, then followed S'Wynn to a waist-high dwarven mechanism, and put the attunement sphere in a depression at its center. There was a grating noise, and a stairway opened to one side of the mechanism. S'Wynn led the way down, to a large porch-like area.

Shanti gaped at what she saw. Blackreach was like nothing she had ever even imagined. It was a cavern, but absolutely tremendous, dwarfing the largest she'd been in to date. Huge glowing mushrooms provided dim bluish light, and overhead rocks - or other mushrooms - gave the impression of stars. It smelled damp, not too surprising considering the mushrooms. She turned to S'Wynn. "You have explored this? Alone?"

"Alone, yes, but this one is certain he has explored only a small part of the cavern. It is simply too large and too dangerous for a single person, at least one who is not a warrior."

"Dangerous? What kind of dangers?" Voranil asked sharply.

"Nothing you haven't faced before, Khajiit is sure," S'Wynn replied calmly. "Falmer and chaurus, of course, and an occasional giant. No mammoths or cold-weather beasts, and nothing like saber-cats, nor has this one seen skeevers, mud-crabs, or the like."

"So mostly Falmer and chaurus," Voranil said. "What about vampires, bandits, necromancers?"

"None that S'Wynn is aware of, though as he said, Khajiit has explored only a small part of Blackreach. It is possible they exist in other parts, though he doubts they would find it attractive."

"Probably not," Shanti agreed. "Something about it makes me uneasy. I would like to find Tower Mzark, get the Kel, and return to the surface."

"Kel? You seek an Elder Scroll?" S'Wynn looked impressed. "May this one ask why?"

Shanti glanced at Voranil, who shrugged. "Because I have been told I need it to learn a Shout I will need to defeat Alduin."

S'Wynn nodded. "A worthy goal indeed. Khajiit is pleased to be allowed to assist with such a thing. And he can show you a - research station? - on the way. It had nothing about the Dwemer, so was of no real interest to this one, but if you have any interest in alchemy, you might find it intriguing."

"Voranil and I both do, so we'll check it out." When he led them into a small building, she glanced around, and gasped. "That looks like a nirnroot, but it's _red_!"

Voranil followed her pointing finger, approaching the specimen, and frowned, touching it cautiously. "Yes, and it has the feel of a normal nirnroot ... just not the color. Is there anything here to wrap it in? I want to take it home for study, and I don't want anything else in my pack contaminating it."

"Yeah, if you think a semi-rotten pillowcase would work," Bjorn said.

Voranil chuckled. "I don't think a few hairs or a bit of dandruff would alter its properties, so a pillowcase should be fine."

While he wrapped and packed the odd nirnroot, Shanti read a journal she found in the hand of an arrow-riddled skeleton. "Anything interesting?" Bjorn asked when she finished.

"Well, his name was Sinderion, and he apparently had an obsession with nirnroot," she replied with a shrug. "Other than that, nothing, except he paid a thousand septims for a sample of the red version, and says he'd have paid ten times that."

"Obsessed, all right," Bjorn agreed with a chuckle.

Voranil had a stronger reaction. "Sinderion? _This_ is where he disappeared to?"

"According to this journal, yes," Shanti said. "Why? Was he important?"

"One of the best alchemical researchers of his time," Voranil told her. "Very reclusive - almost never left his rooms in the basement of the West Weald Inn in Skingrad, it's said. His research formed the basis of one of the texts we used when I was studying advanced alchemy. He disappeared about a century and a half ago. So bring that journal along - I'm sure Urag would love to add it to his Library."

"All right." She packed the journal, then began gathering the other alchemy ingredients the laboratory held. Once that was done, they left, following a road that led them past a Centurion in its charging gantry. Shanti was tempted to use her new Shout on it, but when she suggested that, Voranil shook his head.

"I know the doctrine of never leaving a live enemy behind you, but since it won't leave where it is unless it's attacked, I'd rather not waste magica I may need later. This place is huge, and S'Wynn says it has a lot of Falmer and chaurus."

"Very well." Even though she felt apprehensive about it, Shanti didn't argue, following S'Wynn along the road. They did enounter a number of Falmer and chaurus, Shanti eagerly collecting the chaurus chitin once she realized that was what the Falmer armor was made of, so what she'd need to improve it before selling it. Voranil had to restrain her from going in search of more, after that, and to his relief, S'Wynn and Bjorn both backed him.

In fact, S'Wynn scowled at her. "Your life is too precious to be risked unnecessarily, Dragonborn, Follow S'Wynn, and you will reach your goal as safely as possible."

Even though she knew S'Wynn and the others were right, Shanti was beginning to chafe at the constant reminders of the necessity for keeping her alive. Holy Divines, how much could she learn if she were wrapped in figurative swaddling clothes?

Fairness made her admit, on the other hand, that she might need those just to stay alive to face Alduin. She kept her grumbling to herself, and told S'Wynn, "Lead on. I shall restrain myself."

He nodded, then pointed to a bridge over the river they had been following. "Across that, then ... you see the tower to our left and a bit above our current path, yes?"

"Yes," Shanti agreed.

"That is the Tower of Mzark. S'Wynn has been to it, but not yet gone inside. He has read descriptions, of course, but ... entering alone, he has heard, is inadvisable. So he is most excited to be here with companions."

As it turned out, the Tower was smaller than Shanti expected, the first room a bit shabby and with only minor loot, no hazards at all. But the next ...

Shanti caught her breath when they entered what S'Wynn called the Oculory. There was a huge globe, studded with what she would have called gems if they weren't so large, with a curving walkway up around the globe to her left. She climbed it, looking around in wonder. She'd already been impressed by Dwemer workmanship, but this made what she'd seen so far look ... she didn't have the words. Primitive, perhaps? When they climbed to the top of the globe, she found a platform, with what looked like a place for the Lexicon. She tried placing it there, and smiled when it was accepted.

"So far, so good," she said. Then, a few steps later, she was confronted by four pedestals with buttons, which left her at a loss, so she turned to S'Wynn. "In your explorations, did you by any chance find out how this thing is supposed to work?"

"Indeed, and not by chance," S'Wynn replied, his eyes sparkling. "By the way, would you prefer this one to speak more conventionally? You are most unlike so many of those this one has associated with, who think having fur and a tail impairs one's intellect."

"We all know better," Voranil said. "Shanti and her parents aren't the only Khajiit associated with the Legion."

"And yes, I would prefer it," Shanti said. "I find that dialect a bit difficult to follow ... and why use it, if you can speak standard Common?"

S'Wynn chuckled. "For my own amusement. It annoys those who like to underestimate Betmer, especially any who have read my contributions to scholarly journals and know I do it deliberately. But it's less amusing with you, and I should refrain from annoying Dovahkiin."

"You knew what I meant by Kel, and you use my dovah name - do you speak Dovahzul?"

"Geh, a little bit. Most scholars do, since Dovahzul can handle concepts that are difficult for Common. Also, I believed the prophecies, and wished to be prepared. I'm not the scholar of them that I understand you are, but then, while I believed the prophecies, the dovah don't fascinate me the way they do you."

"I think only Farengar and I, and perhaps the Greybeards, share quite that intensity of interest. Though I would guess you are the same way about the Dwemer, ni fil?"

"Indeed it is so. You would have seen a number of my reasons, including their sanitary arrangements, had you managed to attract my attention earlier. I can show you the next time we explore a Dwemer location."

"'We'?" Voranil said. "What do you mean, 'we'? Bjorn and I are her bodyguards, and you say you're no warrior."

"That is true. However, I am a scholar of the Dwemer, and an expert in the Restoration, and Illusion schools, and adept at Alteration. While I cannot fight beside her, I can protect her from being injured in the first place, or heal her if our other efforts are - " he grinned, giving Shanti an appreciative glance that made her ears warm, "- if the beauteous Drovahkiin should wish ... ah ... more personal attentions, I would be more than happy to provide them."

"Watch it, cat!" Bjorn cautioned, his hand nearing his sword.

S'Wynn drew himself up. "I said if she should wish, Sergeant. I have no need to pressure a lady who doesn't desire me. I am, after all, quite a handsome Khajiit. I need not beat the women off with a club, but I do not lack for feminine company."

Shanti stepped in, smiling. "I can believe it. Voranil, Bjorn, he has a point. A scholar would be useful in a lot of places, not just Dwemer locations. And if he can use Illusion or Alteration magic to protect me, so much the better." Not necessairly by her standards, but by theirs.

Voranil frowned. "You're the one who said Lydia or Delphine would make our group too large and noticeable. Adding another Khajiit, especially here in Skyrim, would do the same thing."

"True," Shanti said. "But neither of those were capable of even self-healing, while S'Wynn can do that, heal others as well, and with his Illusion spells, perhaps even conceal himself."

"Oh, easily!" S'Wynn said. "Changing one's appearance is far less costly in magica than is invisibility, so it can be maintained indefinitely. I can assume any guise you might think helpful. or cast a spell that renders me unnoticeable."

"All right," Voranil said. "I suppose you can come along. But is there any help you can give us in getting Shanti the Elder Scroll?"

"Of course. I have been here, seeking knowledge of the Dwemer, for some time, and I've had a great deal of success. It helps that they were extremely proud of this particular device, and left detailed records of its construction, its characteristics, and how to use it. You've already placed the Lexicon in its receptacle, so the next step is focusing the knowledge in the Elder Scroll on the Lexicon and copying it, filling the Lexicon, while leaving the Kel intact."

"And how do we do that?" Shanti asked.

"It's surprisingly simple," S'wynn said. "Go to the second pedestal from the right, and press its button four times."

Shanti obeyed, then saw the Lexicon open and glow blue. "So far, so good. What next?"

"You copy the information into the Lexicon. Look to the left, and press the newly-opened button twice."

When she did so, the lenses above moved, focusing on the Lexicon, and filling it with the Elder Sroll's "knowing", as Septimus had put it

There was one final button, on the far left, and S'Wynn urged her to push it. When she did, the lenses moved again, and a structure descended from the ceiling.

S'Wynn smiled at her. "That, from my studies, holds the Kel. Go and take it, Dovahkiin. It is ncecessary for you to face your final foe."

Shanti nodded, then went down from the control pedestal to the top of the globe, and circled the lowered mechanism until she found the Elder Scroll nestled inside. Holding her breath, she took it, and used the strap on it to sling it over her back. Then she returned to the others.

"Now what? I would say to return the Lexicon to Septimus, myself, then go on to the Tiid-Ahraan."

"That would seem wise," S'Wynn said.

Shanti extended her hands to Voranil and Bjorn. "Then you must understand and agree that the spell I will use to transport us is not to be mentioned to anyone, nor may I teach it to you or anyone else. Without that understanding and agreement, I cannot permit you to travel with us."

"You have both," S'Wynn said. "Though I am a bit surprised you're willing to take the simple word of a stranger."

Shanti shrugged. "It is all that is available. And should you violate your word, I am sure I will be able to think of a fitting penalty."

S'Wynn chuckled. "Yes, I believe you would, Dovahkiin. But you won't have to, as you will discover."

"Then take my shoulder, and we will go. It will be quite cold, but we will be out of the wind shortly."

XX

Septimus was waiting when they entered. "I know you have it - Give it, quickly!"

He studied the filled Lexicon, looking happy. "Extraordinary. I see it now. The sealing structure interlocks in the tiniest fractals. Dwemer blood can loose the hooks, but none alive remain to bear it. A panoply of their brethren could gather to form a facsimile. A trick. Something they didn't anticipate, no, not even them. The blood of Altmer, Bosmer, Dunmer, Falmer, and Orsimer. The elves still living provide the key. Bear you hence this extractor. It will drink the fresh blood of elves. Come when its set is complete."

Shanti shook her head in bemusement, but accepted the extractor. "It may take some time. I will not murder to get the blood you wish, but I am sure I will continue to encounter bandits and the like of all races, in my travels."

"Then go, and waste no time!"

Glad to be leaving the madman's presence, Shanti led her group toward the entrance to Septimus' outpost. They were about halfway there when a presence manifested in front of them - a mass of writhing tentacles with far too many eyes. There was an odd familiarity to it, though Shanti had no idea of how or why - she would have remembered a previous sight of something so monstrous.

"I am Hermaeus Mora," the thing said in a ponderous voice. "I am the guardian of the unseen, and knower of the unknown. I have been watching you, mortal. Most impressive."

Hermaeus Mora - one of the Daedric Princes. Shanti shuddered, but couldn't think of any way to reply. It waited for a bit, then spoke again.

"Your continuing aid to Septimus renders him increasingly obsolete. He has served me well, but his time is nearing its end. Once that infernal lockbox is opened, he will have exhausted his usefulness to me. When that time comes, you shall - or may, if you choose, rather - take his place as my emissary. What say you?"

Politeness seemed like a very good idea at the moment, so Shanti inclined her head in a minimal bow. "Thank you, Lord Prince, but I do not think I would care for that. Also,I have too much I must accomplish to become your emissary."

Behind her, S'Wynn cleared his throat, attracting the Daedra's attention. A couple of its eyes blinked slowly, then it gave the impression of nodding. "I do not force, merely offer, and of course I will respect the Dragonborn's wishes. But Septimus is rapidly losing his usefulness, and Miraak is becoming increasingly rebellious. I need to replace at least one, preferably both, in the near future."

"Surely you have other candidates," Shanti said.

"Oh, indeed, and some who savor the prospect. When that time comes, I am sure it shall be you who willingly takes his place as my emissary." Mora disappeared.

Shanti turned to S'Wynn. "What was that about? You know each other?"

The mostly-black Khajiit shrugged. "As a scholar, I've attracted his attention, yes. We have a relationship I suppose you could consider one of mutual respect, and I doubt it will go beyond that. I certainly have no desire to serve him."

"Well, then we are agreed. But he seems to assume I will do so anyway." Shanti sighed. Surely Bormah Akatosh would not allow something like that to happen to the Last Dragonborn, who unlike thi First, was doing her best to carry out His will for her. "Let us leave. I do need to get to the Tiid-Ahraan to learn Dragonrend, preferably before I have to face any more dragon attacks."

She got no disagreement from any of them, so she led them outside, then 'ported them to Paarthurnax's lair at the Throat of the World. As soon as they appeared, Paarthurnax spoke. "You have it. The Kel - the Elder Scroll. Tiid kreh... qalos. Time shudders at its touch. There is no question. You are doom-driven. Kogaan Akatosh. The very bones of the earth are at your disposal. Go then. Fulfill your destiny. Take the Scroll to the Time-Wound. Do not delay. Alduin will be coming. He cannot miss the signs."

Shanti obeyed, the other three beside her when she opened the Elder Scroll.

Her vision blurred, and she seemed to be looking through a reddish filter as she watched the past unfold. Two Nords - Hakon and Gormlaith, from Paarthurnax's description - fought a dragon, and won when Gormlaith leaped to his head, as she had done once. They spoke for a bit then, before the third of Paarthurnax's first human friends appeared, carrying an Elder Scroll like the one she was reading ... or watching. They spoke a bit longer, the first two objecting to the Scroll, then Alduin rose to their challenge.

During their battle, she **learned** Dragonrend, and was shaken by the effect it had on Mulventoor. By the time he had recovered from the Shout's shock, and she had recovered from sharing his, Felldir was using the Kel to banish Alduin from their time. The Kel's vision vanished, and she re-stowed the now-closed Scroll on her back, readying Dragonbane and preparing to use Dragonrend for the first time.

When Alduin approached, Paarthurnax urged her to use Dragonrend on him, and she did - but winced when it hit Mulventoor as well. She felt Alduin's breath hit and burn her badly, then healing from S'Wynn ... or maybe him and Voranil.

*Don't worry about me!* Mulventoor sent hastily. *It hurts, but cannot harm me - protect yourself!*

Shanti growled, and tried to follow his advice, but every time she Shouted Dragonrend at Alduin, it hit her through Mulventoor as well, though the effect seemed to lessen a bit every time. If it hadn't been for S'Wynn and Voranil healing her, she was sure she wouldn't have lasted long enough to hit Alduin with a full-strength Dragonrend without it backfiring on her.

When she did, grounding him, she ran in wielding Dragonbane, while Voranil and Bjorn attacked with their own preferred weapons, with Paarthurnax attacking his brother from above. Every time Alduin seemed to be recovering enough to fly again, she used Dragonrend, and after what seemed hours, he stared at her and nodded briefly. *You have become strong. But I am Al-du-in, Firstborn of Akatosh! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you ... mortal!"

When he vanished, she sagged to the ground. "Perhaps, or perhaps not," she murmured, mostly to herself. "But ... I think you were right, Mulventoor. I need to gain far more strength, and even defeat Miraak, before I attempt facing Alduin again. I thought I was strong, but ... compared to him, I am still a fledgling."

* _And you will have to use Dragonrend far more_ ,* he sent. * _Whether against a dovah, or without a target. I must become accustomed to it, enough so that my reaction will not affect you as in this battle_.*

At Skyborn Altar:

Odahviing settled beside Britgrahreg. "Were you watching?"

"Many of us were. She is strong, but not yet able to face the Firstborn. Geh, she drove him away, but that is far short of defeating him - especially after he is able to replenish his strength from the mortal souls in Sovngarde."

"Would that we could do more to aid her," Odahviing said thoughtfully. "But ... unless we wish to be destroyed ourselves, we can give her only indirect support."

XX

Rodryn leaned back into his chair, fingers intertwined as he observed the growing frown on Vyric's face as the nord read his way through the stack of parchments on his deck.

"This is impossible," Was Vyric's eventual conclusion as he finished reading. "No one can travel that fast, not even by horse."

"And yet we read she does. This is not just one day that two of our people saw her in two different cities on the same day at roughly the same time," Rodryn immediately countered. "It's about many days that our people saw her in different cities."

"But Mark and Recall is strictly forbidden. There isn't a single guild or school that teaches this spell, and as far as we know, the only tomes that teach it are securely locked somewhere in the Imperial Palace," Vyric said as he went back to his seat. "And we have certainly not heard of a mage that at least claims to know the spell here in Skyrim."

"Not exactly," Rodryn said, earning a questioning look from the Nord in front of him.

"You know someone who knows the spell," Vyric said with a roll of his eyes. "What a surprise."

"I wouldn't say know, as much as suspect," Rodryn said with a laugh. "But yes, I think I know who taught her the spell."


	26. Battle for Windhelm

Author's Note - Thanks to Pietersielie for suggesting the possibility of the final scene.

* * *

Chapter 26 - Battle for Windhelm

Once Shanti was able to stand without staggering, she approached Paarthurnax. "We drove him away, so I suppose it was a victory of sorts ... but the real battle is yet to come, I am afraid."

"You are correct. It was a great victory - you saw yourself that the first Tongues were unable to accomplish what you just did - but indeed not the final one. I fear you must follow him into Sovngarde by way of the portal in his temple at Skuldafn."

Shanti's ears twitched in puzzlement. "I can go there without dying?"

"Through that portal, yes. Other than that, I know nothing of it. Except that some dovah will have to fly you there; it is accessible only by air."

"That should be no problem, since Odahviing has allied himself with me, and promised to come at my call."

"Rok drey _fos_?" Paarthurnax exclaimed, his astonishment obvious, then he repeated in Common, "He did what? And when did this happen?"

"Shortly after I failed to resurrect Mulventoor," Shanti replied, puzzled at her mentor's reaction. "Mulventoor suggested I challenge him to a Thu'um duel for an alliance, or at least a non-hostility agreement. I did so, and he came, but he offered alliance without a duel, and I naturally accepted."

"That is ... most curious, but a thing to be welcomed. What are the conditions?"

"He made none, and even offered to aid General Tullius' assault on Fort Greenwall by disarming its soldiers."

"Hmm. A full alliance, then, and without even a token duel. Very odd, and you should consider yourself greatly honored, Dovahkiin. We early-born are even more headstrong than our younger sibs, and to have one of the oldest react so to the very youngest ... I shall have to meditate on this for some time."

"Then we will leave you to your meditations. I am exhausted and hungry after that battle, and I am quite sure the others are too, so I will take us home for food and rest."

* * *

When Shanti woke the next morning, she was stiff and sore, with only a vague memory of returning to Dragonsreach. She must've eaten, and since she was in her bed, gotten here somehow she couldn't remember.

She used a healing spell on herself, and when her lingering pains were gone, went through her morning clean-up routine, then downstairs for breakfast. She was the last to arrive, but Balgruuf didn't leave the table - obliging everyone else to do the same - until she was done, then he called her up to his throne.

"News for you, Dragonborn," he said with a smile. "General Tullius sent a messenger to let us know the Rift is again in Imperial hands. He'd like you to meet him at the Eastmarch Imperial camp at your earliest opportunity; he wants you in on the Windhelm assault because of Ulfric's knowledge of Voice."

She didn't have a teleport point for that camp, but it wasn't too far from Kynesgrove, which she did have a point for, so - "We will depart for there this morning, then. Divines willing, that battle will end the war, and in the Empire's favor."

"Divines willing, indeed." Balgruuf smiled. "And Lydia was finally able to get the materials needed to finish your home, despite the competition from Helgen and my own builders, so you'll be able to move in any time you want. She had rooms for your bodyguards included, and some guest rooms as well, so S'Wynn will have a place to stay."

"I appreciate that," Shanti said. "We will move in after the Windhelm battle is over, so if you would not mind having our things moved there, we will stay at Ofansebalgruuf our next night in Whiterun."

Balgruuf grinned at that. "Of course, Dragonborn!" He paused. "I'm forgetting something ... oh, yes. Eorlund would like to see you as soon as possible about your new armor. He sounded extremely pleased about it, for some reason."

"Oh, good!" Shanti exclaimed. "That should mean he was able to work at least the scale, and it is done!"

"And we should do that first," Voranil said. "Even if he only got one set done, that'll give you the strongest light armor on Nirn. Which will make Bjorn's and my job at least a little easier. General Tullius will forgive a slight delay for that purpose, I'm sure."

"And I am eager to see what he has done with what we gave him," Shanti said.

"Whatever it is, bring it back here when you're done," Farengar said. "Giving me that scale and bone for my research was a wonderful gift, and I'd like to do something for you in return, namely enchant your armor and primary weapon. I'm one of the few who can dual-enchant something, so think of the spells you want on each item."

"That is most generous of you, fahdoni, and I accept gratefully." Shanti purred loudly. Then she turned to Balgruuf. "May we leave now? Please?"

The Jarl chuckled. "Certainly."

Shanti found it hard not to sprint for the doors of Dragonsreach, but she managed to maintain a sedate pace until she was outside, then she gave up the effort, let her eagerness take over, and ran down the steps, past the silent Talos shrine, and up past Jorrvaskr to the Skyforge, stopping in a near-skid in front of the smith. "Eorlund! Jarl Balgruuf said you wanted to see me!"

"Yes, indeed." Eorlund smiled at her. "I rarely have anyone so eager to see my work, but gods be praised, I was able to find a way to work the scales and bones. Your armor is ready, along with a mace. Over there, laid out on the Skyforge."

Shanti went where he pointed, catching her breath at the beauty of the armor. Mulventoor had been a bronze color, so that wasn't surprising, but she didn't remember his scales gleaming as they did now. "Do you have someplace I can try it on?"

"Of course." Eorlund smiled again, gesturing to an alcove in the corner between the Skyforge and his grindstone. "In there, and there's a mirror to admire yourself in, too." He chuckled. "The other Companions enjoy seeing themselves in their new finery, as well."

Shanti wasted no time getting to the alcove, drawing the curtain, and changing into her new armor. It fit perfectly, not surprising given the detailed measurements Eorlund had taken, and she turned to the mirror.

She was stunned briefly by what she saw. Parts of her fur matched the scales almost exactly, and the armor made her look ... well, _dangerous_ , in a way not even her Legion armor did.

That got an amused reaction from Mulventoor. * _Of course it does, Youngest Sister and Thuri. Now you are clad as a dovah should properly be, and it pleases me to see you wearing my scales, as I now wear your body. We are one, after all. I sense your bodyguards have arrived_.*

* _Then shall we go show off_?*

She got unspoken agreement, and emerged from the alcove to see Voranil and Bjorn getting packages from Eorlund. Good, he'd finished their dragonscale armor as well!

Then Voranil, with those elven ears of his, must have heard her, because he turned to look at her, and smiled. "Nice, very nice! I hope we'll look as good in ours."

Bjorn snorted. "I don't care about looks, just practicality, and dragonscale is very practical. But I must agree, it looks good on her."

"So it does," S'Wynn agreed. "Armor that is both effective and flattering to the wearer is unusual." He smiled at Eorlund. "My congratulations on your skill, Master Smith."

Eorlund returned the smile. "Thank you, Scholar. Will you be wanting a set? I have enough materials for another suit and a weapon or two."

"Thank you, but no. On the rare occasions I wear armor - a scholar has very little use for such - I have a very nice set of Daedric."

"As you wish, then."

* * *

Voranil and Bjorn, in turn, entered the small fitting room and emerged in their dragonscale armor. It was odd to see Voranil in armor at all, but Shanti thought the bronze of Mulventoor's scales was a nice complement to his golden skin and what the helmet left visible of his hair. On Bjorn, it made the relatively small Nord look as dangerous as it did her.

S'Wynn grinned to see them together. "You make a very nice matched set, but also a very distinctive trio. I hope it won't make you more of a target."

"Oh, it will," Bjorn said. "My hope is that it's enough better than normal armor to make up for that."

"It is," Shanti said. "At least, going by the memories I share with Mulventoor. A dovah's weakest point is the wings, with the underside considerably stronger, and the side and back scales - which our armor consists of - practically invulnerable to non-dragonbone weapons, and difficult even for those. For a weapon to be effective on sides or back, they must get past the scales, not through them. On the underside, a strike through the scales will occasionally succeed."

Once they'd finished admiring the new gear, they returned to Dragonsreach for the enchantments Farengar had promised to place on Shanti's armor and mace. As he'd suggested, she had given careful consideration to what she wanted on each item, with input from Voranil and Bjorn.

When Farengar asked, she gave him what they'd decided would help her most, and not only in combat. "For the helmet, Waterbreathing and Fortify Magica Regeneration. Fortify Health and Healing Rate on the cuirass, Light Armor and Sneak on the gauntlets, Sneak and Muffle on the boots, please. And Fiery Soul Trap and Shock on the mace, if you would," she finished. "Should any of those enchantments prove less desirable in practice than in theory, I will be gathering more scales and bones. Even when I do not deliberately loot the remains, Mulventoor informs me a few scales and bones will remain, loose enough to gather without violating the remains. Or, of course, I can ask permission of the former occupant to gather more."

Farengar shook his head. "I know it's true, but it's still hard to accept that you actually absorb souls, and can communicate with them after their deaths."

"It was even stranger for me, I am sure, when it first happened," Shanti said wryly. "Would you like a few more of the bones and scales for your research, or did you learn enough from the first ones I gave you?"

Farengar looked surprised at the offer, then nodded eagerly. "I did learn a lot, but with two or three more of each, I could learn so much more! Please, Dragonborn? And I'll enchant your bodyguards' gear just for the promise."

Shanti chuckled. "You have the promise, which I will fulfill as soon as I may."

She'd noticed Balgruuf looking at her oddly while she listed the spells she wanted, so she asked, "You disapprove?"

"Disapprove? No, but I am surprised at so many stealth enchantments. It's not what I'd expect a Dragonborn to want."

Shanti chuckled. "If I were the Dragonborn we all expected, I would have chosen very different enchantments. But since I am a small Khajiit with cultists, Thalmor, and assorted other nasties who try to kill me while I am learning and gaining experience, we judged that stealth, in additon to this armor, will help me stay alive until I am ready to face Alduin again."

Balgruuf looked thoughtful, then nodded. "A valid point, Dragonborn. I ... apologize for misunderstanding."

"No apologies necessary, my Jarl. I would probably have made the same assumptions, in your position."

* * *

The Eastmarch Imperial camp was like all the others Shanti had seen. Arranged in as geometric a pattern as the geography would allow, with the command, medical, and logistics areas closest to the center, officers' tents next, and enlisted around those. She'd questioned that at one time, but once it was explained that the idea was to keep the ones the enemy most wanted to kill protected the best, she'd understood and even agreed. Latrine areas were outside the enlisted tents, but still within the guard-lines, which had always made sense ... and usually downwind, when the geography allowed it.

She reported to the command tent, where Tullius and Rikke were standing over a map table with, instead of the usual provincial map, a detailed map of Windhelm. Tullius turned to her. "How familiar are you with Windhelm, Dragonborn?"

"Not at all, sir. I've only been there once, to deliver Jarl Balgruuf's axe, and I had a guide from the gate to the Palace of Kings then. It seems ... a most confusing city."

Tullius snorted a laugh. "It is that! I think Ysgramor designed it that way, to help repel invaders. I'd applaud his efforts, if we weren't the ones trying to invade this time. But I think I'm going to need you in the Palace of the Kings, to face Ulfric and his Voice, and we could easily get separated on the way. So you need to learn alternate routes from the main gate to the Palace."

"Yes, sir." Shanti bent over the map with them, following fingers and hoping she'd be able to connect what seemed like clear enough directions on a map to what she'd actually find in a battle scene.

When Rikke seemed to be concentrating on giving her landmarks she'd never seen, she sighed. "Excuse me, but I recognize none of those places. Could you be ... perhaps what turns I would need to make, and approximate distances? That is no guarantee, of course, but probably more reliable than me trying to count on landmarks I have never seen and could not recognize."

Rikke frowned, but nodded. "All right. If we're separated, it's most likely to be in the inital assault, just inside the gates, in front of Candlehearth Hall. In that case, hmm ... follow me closely, here." She gave detailed instructions, with Shanti memorizing them carefully.

"Yes, I have it," she said. "It might be best if you follow me, rather than attempting the reverse, however. I can at least protect myself from Ulfric's Voice, as you cannot, and I might be able to protect you as well if you are behind me. With anyone else in the lead, as well, I would be unable to use my own Thu'um."

Tullius scowled, then his expression cleared and he nodded. "I'm used to being in the lead, but what you say makes sense. Still, I can't be seen as a follower. So how about this? You, me, and your team in the lead, Rikke with my bodyguard right behind, and as many of our troops as can manage behind us."

"That should work," Shanti agreed. "Just for your own safety, do not get ahead of me. I will undoubtedly have to use Voice and perhaps spells, and I certainly do not wish to hit you by mistake."

"'Friendly fire isn't'," Tullius said, quoting an old Legion maxim. "I'll stay a step or two back, just not so far it appears I'm behind you. And I'll take the lead when we enter the Palace of the Kings. Now, direct or indirect route? I'd recommend the indirect, since it's likely to be less heavily defended."

"I understand, and would normally agree," Shanti said. "But given my unfamiliarity with the city, I think the risk of getting lost outweighs the heavier defenses of the direct route." She paused. "What of Odahviing? I understand he helped at Riften."

"He did indeed!" Tullius smiled widely. "I'd name him a Hero of the Legion, if I thought he'd accept it. Thanks to his Disarm Shout, we took only a quarter of the casualties we'd expected in the initial assault, and he'll be joining us here, as well. I'm to light a signal fire just before we leave here for the city. Or if you were going to be with us, ask you to call him then."

"I will of course do so. So let me know when."

"As soon as we get formed up. I'll tell you when that's done, but if you're going to be leading, you need to get a couple of hundred feet down the road so there'll be room for the rest of us to form up behind you. Once that's done, I'll move up beside you.

"Yes, sir."

Shanti obeyed, thinking about what the General had said about the order of march. He and she in the lead, his bodyguard and Rikke right behind her and hers ... which meant Dad would be in the thick of battle with her. That was both comforting and frightening, and she turned to S'Wynn. "Voranil and Bjorn already know, but the head of General Tullius' bodyguard is my father. If you have any attention to spare, could you give him a bit of extra protection from magic or ... anything else?"

S'Wynn gave her a grin and slight bow. "I think I can manage that, Dovahkiin."

"Thank you ... I would certainly appreciate it."

She took time to find her father, never far from Tullius in the field, and gave him a brief lick on the nose. "It looks like this is it, Dad," she said softly. "Divines protect us both."

"And the rest," S'Jherek said, returning the gesture. "Be careful, darling - I'll have your back as well as the General's. Now go, so we can form up."

"Yes, sir." Shanti smiled, hoping it didn't look as shaky as it felt, then she and her team moved into position.

* * *

When the Legion was ready to march, Tullius approached her. "We're ready, Dragonborn. Call Odahviing, if you would."

Shanti nodded, and did so. "Od-ah-VIING!"

To her surprise, and murmurs of apprehension from behind her, Odadviing had company when he landed. His companion was smaller, white and gray in color, and radiated chill rather than heat. Shanti cocked her head at her ally. "This is a friend of yours?"

"Indeed, and sometimes mate. I introduce Britgrahreg, a frost dovah, who has agreed to aid me today. What would you have us do, Youngest Sister?"

Shanti gestured toward General Tullius. "I am in the lead merely because of my Thu'um and new armor. You must speak to him about strategy and tactics, which I have only a small understanding of."

"I understand, my ally. Very well." Odahviing swung his head toward Tullius. "What would you have us do, then, General? Both of us know all the Shouts current when we were killed last time."

"Disarm, then, shortly before our attack, as you did at Riften," Tullius replied. "After that, though, we'll be pretty much on our own, since your Shouts would affect us as much as they would the Stormcloaks. But if you could remain, circling the city, you could be a morale boost for us, and hindrance for them."

"It will be so." Odahviing took off, followed by Britgrahreg, and the two circled the city while the Legion approached, Shouting Disarm at irregular intervals. That continued until Tullius halted the troops shortly before the entrance to the city, for the traditional speech of encouragement. When that was done, he nodded to Shanti, and she Called, "NU!"

The two dovah made a low pass and Shouted in unison, looking toward the city, "ZUUN HAAL VIIK!", then rose, beginning to circle, as Shanti and Tullius led the assault on Windhelm. The initial entry was easy, with the Stormcloaks disarmed, but about halfway to the Palace of the Kings, the enemy troops were beginning to recover their weapons, and the fighting became more difficult.

She used the Disarm Shout herself, which helped, but the Stormcloaks tried to overwhelm her with sheer numbers, so she had to use Unrelenting Force ... and to her relief, that threw her attackers back against the nearest walls, and the Legion troops were able to attack and injure or kill them before they could recover.

She didn't like hurting anyone, much less killing them, but if they were trying to kill her, she didn't really have any qualms about returning the favor. Her group made it to the Palace of the Kings more quickly than she would have expected, and with less trouble than she'd encountered in Dustman's Cairn. Of course, there she hadn't had S'Wynn and most of an Imperial Legion to help her and her official bodyguards, though Farkas had been a big help.

Ulfric and Galmar were waiting in the Palace courtyard, behind a line of Stormcloaks. When he saw her, Ulfric stepped past them. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin. We heard you coming, of course, after your dragons made their initial pass."

"Drem yol lok, Jarl Ulfric. They are my allies only, not my vahriinne. What is it you wish of me?"

He gave her a brief smile. "Perceptive of you, Dovahkiin. I've known since the initial assault that I and all of my senior officers are dead men walking, but I ask you to spare those not in major positions of authority."

"That is not up to me," Shanti said slowly. "Only General Tullius can grant even conditional amnesty, though I would recommend it."

"I'd already planned on that," Tullius said from directly beside her. "Doing otherwise would simply make things worse, so - " He continued to Ulfric. "Any of your soldiers who return to their civilian work won't be prosecuted. Officers who disavow your rebellion and swear fealty to the Empire will be monitored to be sure they've been honest. The rest, of course, will be executed for treason, as you will."

"I seem to recall you trying that once before," Ulfric said, sounding amused. "A dragon unwittingly saved me then. Perhaps this time Dovahkiin will save me from humiliation, if not from death." He took a deep breath, and Shanti braced herself, but he only said, "Dovahkiin, I challenge you to a contest of Thu'um. No weapons or spells, Thu'um only."

"You can't win, not against a Dragonborn!" Galmar protested.

Ulfric smiled at his housecarl and second in command. "I know - but at least I'll die with some dignity, rather than under an executioner's axe. It'll make for a better song."

Shanti glanced at Tullius, who gave her a nod. "As long as he dies. And it might make it easier to reconcile the rebels with the Empire if he's spared that final humiliation."

Shanti nodded, then turned back to Ulfric. "In that case, if your control is great enough to avoid collateral damage, as mine is, I accept."

Ulfric actually chuckled. "When I knocked Torygg down with Unrelenting Force, I harmed no one else. Is that precise enough to satisfy you?"

"It is. And you are the older, so by dovah custom, you Speak first."

Immediately, he hit her with Unrelenting Force, throwing her back into the arms of the Legionnaires behind her. They pushed her back up, and while he was recovering, she hit him with Lightning Breath.

With that Shout at full power, and Ulfric not in armor, his death was instantaneous - he didn't have time to feel pain before he was dead, his body smoking on the floor.

"It's over, then," Tullius said, as Ulfric's remains were removed and Galmar was taken into custody while the remaining Stormcloaks milled around, not knowing what to do. When they had been taken away, he sighed. "I hate making speeches, but I suppose it's time to address the troops. They've earned a pay raise, and the dependents of the deceased deserve an increase of the death benefit as well."

Shanti followed him out of the Palace of the Kings, feeling numb. She listened to his speech to the troops, and their cheering, but none of it really registered. When he and Rikke approached her afterward, she had to force herself to speak normally. "What of you, sir?" she asked. "Will you be going back to Cyrodiil now? My family and I would miss you."

"That's good to hear, but I think I'll be remaining here for some years. I currently have more experience with Skyrim than any other Imperial general, and I've come to respect the Nords. I can't say I understand them, and I still hate the cold here, but ... there's something about Skyrim that brings out the essence of a man." He glanced at Shanti, a faint smile on his face. "Or a woman, of course. It's rather nice to know that a person's outward personality, here, usually isn't just a veneer, as it often is in Cyrodiil, especially the Imperial City."

"That I can understand, sir." Shanti made herself return his smile, looking around, and saw her father. As soon as he caught her eye, he gave the "tails high" gesture of approval, grinning at first, then looking concerned.

He approached the trio and spoke briefly to the General, who gave Shanti a sharp look, then nodded. "You're relieved, Tribune. Why don't you take the Dragonborn back to camp, get her fed, and ... see if you can do anything for her."

"Thank you, sir," S'Jherek said. He gestured to his second-in-command, who nodded, then he and Shanti's team returned with her to the now-almost-deserted camp. He couldn't get her to eat, but she was willing to have some fortified wine, quite a bit stronger than the kumiss she usually preferred.

He took her to his tent and sat beside her, refilling her wine. "Want to talk about it, darling?"

"Not really," Shanti said. But if she didn't, she knew she'd be haunted even worse. And she'd rather talk to her mother about it, if she had to do it at all, but Mums was the full length of Skyrim away.

"It wasn't the fighting, was it?" S'Jherek said sympathetically. "I've seen enough combat shock to know that. Ulfric?"

Shanti nodded, taking a gulp of wine. "I've killed, more than I care to remember, and I'll do a lot more. But it's always been ... self defense."She paused for a long minute. "That was murder. He never had a chance."

"No," S'Jherek said firmly. "It was an execution for treason, not murder. Though you may not be able to feel the difference, just yet. The only chance he ever had, once he started his rebellion, was to win."

He was silent for a time, then added, "He was almost executed in Helgen, you know. He actually had his head on the block, and the executioner's axe was raised, when Alduin showed up and saved him."

"Unintentionally," Shanti said.

"Which makes no practical difference," S'Jherek reminded her. "Ulfric escaped and continued fighting, just compounding his crimes against the Empire. He deserved exactly what he got, which you'll realize in time. If anything, you gave him a more dignified death than he'd earned."

"Yes, I know. Intellectually, anyway." Shanti sighed, taking another sip of wine. "Oblivion ... he challenged me to a Thu'um duel even his housecarl knew he couldn't win. I suppose that helps, a bit. A lot of dovah differences are settled by Thu'um duels. I think."

She felt a tentative touch from Mulventoor, and sent a wordless query.

* _You are correct, Thuri. You won one challenge by agreement, though I cannot say why Odahviing acted as he did, but this one, you won as a proper duel. You were challenged and gave the elder the proper first Word, withstood it, and defeated him when your turn came. Though you would normally have had First Word as challenged. As Youngest, you must remember that, and allow yourself to be challenged. Challenger status takes priority over age_. _This insures that younger dovah are not challenged without cause, just to claim their souls_.

"Yes, I shall definitely have to remember that! Thank you, Vahriin."

"Hmm?" S'Jherek looked at his daughter, who seemed more herself again.

"Mulventoor, Dad. He was reassuring me that in dovah terms, I was acting perfectly honorably. Between the two of you and this awful stuff - " she lifted the wine glass, then put it down - "I think I can eat something, and maybe get some sleep. But kumiss with my food, please."

"Done, darling. You can sleep here, but don't expect me to be here when you wake up; General Tullius is going to be wanting me back in Windhelm as soon as I've got you back on your feet."

"Mmmh. Okay. I'll eat, then sleep ... now I'm reassured, the wine's starting to take effect. An' I think I may be hung over ... "


	27. Aftermath

.

Chapter 27 - Aftermath

The civil war was over. That was Shanti's first thought when she woke. Hard to believe, but it was true, and she didn't think she'd ever forget the Battle for Windhelm, two days ago. She'd never forget killing Ulfric, she was certain. Not that she regretted it; he'd been a traitor, and would have been executed, one way or another. That he'd chosen to challenge her to a Thu'um duel so he could die on his feet was to his credit, if not to hers, with both of them knowing it was a duel he couldn't win. Her father's and Mulventoor's reassurances had made that part endurable, at least, and Mums' reassurance, once she'd returned to Solitude, had helped even more.

She tried to clear her mind as she cleaned up for the day and dressed, then went down to breakfast. As soon as she sat down, Lydia approached, a wide smile on her face. "May I show you your new home as soon as you're done, my Thane?"

Shanti nodded. "Of course. All four of us are looking forward to that. There are rooms for all of them, I hope."

Lydia chuckled. "Easily, as you'll see when we get there. His Grace the Jarl wanted to make it a place worthy of a Dragonborn, the Hold citizens agreed, and we had contributions from most of the other Holds, and something personal from General Tullius as well. The structure is complete and it's ready to move into - yes, your personal things have been taken there - but not all the decorations are finished or in place, though the furnishings are."

Shanti and her team followed Lydia out of Dragonsreach as soon as breakfast was over, then through the streets to what she was informed were now named the Old Gates and into the Outer Plains District. It was still mostly open, Lydia informed them, because not many rural people cared to move into the city, and the wealthy families weren't interested in moving out of the Wind District. "So your neighbors may end up being rather random folks who can afford to live inside the outer wall, but not further in."

Shanti shrugged. "As long as there's nothing like a tannery or smithy too close, I won't mind. But it's Jarl Balgruuf's city, so I can't even object to those, if he chooses to allow them."

"Don't worry about either one," Lydia reassured her. "We already have two smithies in the city, and tanneries are outside the walls and downwind, so you're safe from both."

"Good. Are we almost there?"

"Just about ... another couple of turns. You're behind one of the earliest parts of the Outer Wall, in the corner of the Inner Wall between Dragonsreach and the Hall Of the Dead, so you'll probably be able to hear the waterfalls alongside the Dragonsreach stairs when you're outside."

"That will not be a problem; I like that sound - Great Divines!" Shanti caught her breath when she saw a very large building behind a shoulder-high fence. "It ... Holy Talos, it's a palace!"

Lydia laughed. "Hardly, though it would be if we'd had the resources. My uncle's incredibly pleased that you've decided to make Whiterun your headquarters, and he's a traditionalist. You know, the old Dragonborn-is-Emperor thing ... even though it doesn't work that way since Emperor Martin's death." She chuckled. "But it's definitely a very large mansion! Come on, let me show you around."

* * *

By the time the tour was over, Shanti was more than happy to relax with her team in the dining room of her master suite. Not the mansion's Grand Banquet Room, which was all too close in design to the Dragonsreach Throne Room for her comfort. When they'd all been served their favorite drinks, Shanti turned to Lydia. "Thank you for acting as steward here ... would you mind making that your permanent position? I will be here as often as I can, but that will probably not be as often as I would like ... I know you were assigned as my housecarl, but ... "

Lydia laughed. "I keep forgetting you're military, not noble - I will very happily become your official Steward. Not only do stewards outrank housecarls, with the three you have as bodyguards, you don't _need_ a housecarl. I can take care of my love for combat by working with the Companions, if you permit."

"Certainly. Train or work with them whenever your Steward duties allow. You will be acting head of this household, so you should be free to allocate your own time."

"Thank you, my Thane."

"You're most welcome. And I thank you very much for everything you have done on my - our - behalf while we were gone. I cannot imagine how you were able to fit this place to not only my needs, but my wants!"

Lydia laughed. "You have parents and friends who know both. I spoke to them, learned of your enjoyment of crafting ... so the smithy in the basement, and the alchemy and enchanting rooms, with the powered table surfaces and storage areas for your supplies."

"Though I doubt I will use the smithy except in the winter," Shanti said drily. "Or at least not unless the weather is unusually chilly. I like warmth, but in warm weather, I also appreciate a nice breeze when standing over a smelter or forge! So I will borrow Adrianne's or the Skyforge if I need to do summer forging."

* * *

So, what do we have on our to-do list?" Shanti asked after breakfast in their private dining room.

"I had scribes make copies for everyone," Bjorn said, handing them out. "I may have missed a few, but I think I got most of them."

Shanti studied her copy of the list, and sighed. "I had not realized we had made so many promises to so many people," she said at last. "Most of these are things I would expect people to hire a courier for, or ask the Hold Guard or Legion to do."

Bjorn chuckled. "Be glad you're Dragonborn, or there'd be even more. Bear in mind, you're daughter of a Legion officer and a Bard, and have always lived in a city. Most of these people don't have that kind of money or connections, so they have to depend on adventurers. A lot of them simply don't have the cash to hire a courier, or the time to go to a city or fort to ask for help. Adventurers don't usually get a job done as quickly as the asker might like, but then they don't charge as much as couriers do, either."

"But what about things like bandit or vampire dens, or necromancers?" Shanti asked. "Those are definitely the responsibility of the Guard or Legion."

Bjorn nodded. "Of course they are ... but for anything less than city size being threatened, fairly low priority. Guards and Legion are both spread pretty thin these days, after all, and will be for a while - the Legion especially, since the area it has to patrol about doubled with Ulfric's defeat. And most of the Stormcloak-held areas lost most of their Guards in the war, so at the moment, adventurers are their best bet for general nuisance control."

"Ah, I see." Shanti sighed. "So the authorities are weak, which means the citizens must take things into their own hands." She paused, then grinned. "Which could be beneficial to both, actually. Citizens who can defend themselves have less need to call on Guards or Legion, which are then freer to protect those who cannot."

"Well, don't be too surprised if General Tullius asks for and gets another Legion or two to go along with the Fourth, now that he's got twice the territory to govern," Voranil said. "The Eighth and Fourteenth are in garrison right now, and their Legates would probably love to have them doing some actual work."

"And speaking of work ... " Shanti tapped the paper in front of her. "Idgrod the Younger's message obviously got delivered, because that favor has been replaced by taking her Danica's reply ... and I see Danica now wants us to retrieve a dagger called Nettlebane from Orphan's Rock. Did she say why?"

"She wants to use it to get sap from the Eldergleam to restore the Gildergreen in front of her temple," Bjorn replied, then he snorted. "She's a priestess and a healer. Any bets she asks us to get her the sap instead?"

Shanti chuckled. "I would not bet against it, honestly, and if she does, I will accept the task. She is a marvelous priestess and healer, but even the safest wilderness adventure for us would be unsafe for her."

"Then I'll add it to the list," Bjorn said, doing so on his copy. "So ... what's next?"

"I think ... deliver Danica's reply to Idgrod the Younger, then head for Skyborn Altar to retrieve the Word there, with a detour to Labyrinthian so I can test the full Fire Breath Shout on a frost troll." Shanti grimaced. "It is not the most efficient route, and probably not becoming for the Dragonborn, but I do hold a grudge against them for one harming one of mine, and I would like to be sure that cannot happen again."

"No objection here," Bjorn said with a laugh. "I'd kinda like to make certain of that myself!"

* * *

So the next morning they were off for Morthal, by carriage since she hadn't bothered setting a Mark there. She hadn't seen any point in returning, so why bother? But facts had, as all too often happened, altered her opinion, and she Marked a spot just outside the town ... not expecting to use it, but just in case she did have to return. The trip here was wet, muddy, and uncomfortable without teleportation, and she did have a well-trained memory, so the extra Mark to remember shouldn't be a problem.

They found Idgrod the Younger in her mother's longhouse, Highmoon Hall, and delivered Danica's reply. When that was done, the Jarl called her to the throne. "Your actions have been of great benefit to Hjaalmarch, Dragonborn, especially in clearing out Movarth's coven of vampires. By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Hjaalmarch, and I grant you Windstad Manor, which is across the Solitude Harbor from the Blue Palace."

She paused, then looked amused. "It's a spectacular view, but I'm afraid the manor's last owner let it fall into disrepair, so it's a less generous gift than it may sound like. But it was beautiful once, and should clean up very well."

"I thank you, my Jarl - it is most generous of you, and while I am primarily a city dweller, I do know time in the country can be refreshing. So I will undoubtedly restore it, when time permits. Is there any service I may do you?"

"Other than killing Alduin?" Idgrod smiled and shook her head. "I think not. Hjaalmarch is ... not a wealthy Hold, though, so if you patronize our shops for anything you need when you're in the area, it would help."

"I will do so, then. But now, I need to leave for Labyrinthian, to test my full Fire Breath Shout on a frost troll."

"Blessings of the Divines on you," Idgrod said. "If you can reopen the trade route through Labyrinthian to Whiterun, Hjaalmarch will be even more in your debt."

"I cannot promise that, but if the frost trolls are the only barrier, I can probably make a good start," Shanti replied.

"Not the only one, but by far the worst," Idgrod said. "I'll be grateful for anything you can do on behalf of Hjaalmarch."

"I will do what I can, of course, Shanti said. "If nothing else, we will scout out Labyrinthian as much as we can, for other hazards than frost trolls, and send word as soon as we return to Whiterun."

"Thank you. I'll look forward to your information."

* * *

The weather was fair when they set out, but about two-thirds of the way there, clouds began moving in, and it started to snow lightly. By the time they reached Labyrinthian, the snow had become heavier, and it was clear they wouldn't be going any further today. Well, there was plenty of shelter they could use, even though what appeared to be the main entrance was sealed. They decided on a dome-shaped building with an inner chamber, where the wind couldn't penetrate.

It held a skeleton with a dagger in its chest, a wooden mask of some sort, and a fascinating note, which hinted at the mask being some sort of transport spell. It seemed the mercenary who'd written the note had carried out his threat of killing his and his colleague's employer. They hauled the skeleton outside, and were preparing a meal heated over a fire fueled by wood they'd began gathering when the snow started. They had about three days' worth of food, so unless this was a prolonged storm, they would be in decent shape.

Shanti grinned when they heard the unmistakable roar of a troll just outside, undoubtedly attracted by the skeleton. She drew Dragonbane, but didn't plan to use it, unless her Thu'um had less effect than she thought it would.

She saw the troll as soon as she stepped outside, and promptly used her Fire Breath on it. To her delight, it was every bit as effective as she'd hoped, and the troll died in a single blast of dragonfire. She watched it burn, sheathing Dragonbane, and was ready to go back inside when she heard wingbeats, muffled by the snowfall, and Odahviing landed.

"Do you require assistance, my ally?" he asked. "And are you here for any reason I can assist with?"

"No, we are fine," Shanti assured him. "We are here so I could try my flame Thu'um on a frost troll." She gestured at the charred remains with a grin. "As you can see, it did a very satisfactory job. If there are others here, we plan to eliminate them, as well as any other hostile inhabitants, in hopes of reopening it as a trade route."

"Ah. It would be good to see Bromjunaar thrive again," Odahviing rumbled. "Are you aware this was our local capital when we ruled Tamriel? A beautiful place once, until it was damaged so badly during the Human Wars that it had to be abandoned."

"Bromjunaar ... Northern Kingdom. No, I did not know that - we call this place Labyrinthian, because of a very dangerous labyrinth built here some time in the First Era by Archmage Shalidor."

Odahviing shrugged his wings. "Place names are changeable things for mortals, as are so many other things that we think should be permanent. But at least now I know to translate Labyrinthian as Bromjunaar. What will you do after this place is cleared to your satisfaction?"

"Continue on to Skyborn Altar for the Word Wall there, then return to my home in Whiterun."

Odahviing snorted a chuckle. "I think you will find another ally there. Do you remember Britgrahreg, from the battle for Windhelm?"

"The pretty fodovah? Certainly. She lairs there?"

"Indeed she does, and has since the time of our rule when some humans installed an altar to Bormahu there. She thought it most proper of them, and took their village under her protection. I fear she felt betrayed when they joined the rebellion against us."

"I would probably feel the same," Shanti said.

"Of course, since you are dov and even vodov value loyalty," Odahviing said. "Hmm. How are you planning to travel from her lair to your home?"

"I was planning to teleport. Why?"

"I must know something from you before I can give a valid answer. Why do those Thalmor wish to eliminate people who worship Talos?"

"Because they don't think it's possible for a man to become a Divine, so anyone who worships Him is a heretic, deserving torture and death."

"Oh, really?" Shanti shivered at the change in Odahviing's tone, from neutral or even friendly to cold and perhaps angry. "They deny Bormahu's power and authority, do they? That cannot be allowed to stand." He paused. "We are kin, as well as allies, so I ask that you travel from Skyborn Altar to Whiterun on foot. There are numerous Thalmor patrols on the way, and one is almost certain to intercept you. Although they may simply attack, I hope they will ask if any of you worship Talos. Reply truthfully, and when they attack, I will do the same. I will be flying low cover, so that will take only two or three seconds."

"Do you want them alive, or am I free to Shout at them?"

Odahviing gaped a grin. "Feel free to Shout, Youngest Sister, but one that will leave bodies mostly intact. I plan to deliver one or two to the Thalmor head in Solitude, the one I warned earlier."

Shanti frowned. "Is that wise, Elder Brother? It might cause war between the Empire and the Dominion, and I don't know if the Empire is ready for a Second Great War. Especially with Alduin still on the loose."

"Do not worry about that, Youngest Sister," Odahviing said with a grin. "It may well mean war between the Dominion and the Dov, but I will do my best not to involve your Empire. The elves have insulted Bormahu, and that is not to be borne."

"I cannot disagree, Elder Brother. Just, yes ... try to keep it between Dominion and Dov. And if you can, let the other dovah know what is going on."

She continued silently to Mulventoor. * _Is there any way I can talk him out of this, vahriini? It is truly a very bad idea.*_

 _*No, and I find it disturbing you would want to try. The insult to Bormahu, as you agreed, cannot be borne._ * He sent a shrug. * _Perhaps, if the elves voluntarily apologize for the insult, he will simply demand some kind of reparations, but the yuvonfahliilli are as prideful as we dov, so that is a vanishingly tiny possibility_.*

Golden elves ... yes, that was a good name for the Altmer, with their gold skin. She sighed, then Odahviing said, "Of course, my ally. And you must, of course, report to Tullius and whoever else you believe needs to know."

"Yes, I must. And may I suggest something? If you wish to declare war on the Dominion, you might want to drop one of the bodies off at their highest authority in Skyrim, Ambassador Elenwen at the Thalmor Embassy above Solitude."

"An excellent suggestion, my ally." Odahviing gape-grinned, though Shanti sensed no humor from him. "Now, this storm should be over by mid-afternoon tomorrow, and you should be able to travel by mid-day the following day. It may be a bit difficult, but ... hmm. Let me consider an alternative we sometimes used millennia ago. In the meantime, do you need anything?"

"Not really," Shanti replied. "We have food for three days, an indefinite water supply with the snow, and if our firewood supply runs low, I can heat rock with Fire Breath. So if you hear me Shout that, I am either killing another frost troll or heating a rock for warmth."

"Very well, Youngest Sister. Call my name if you need more."

* * *

"I don't like it, Shanti," Voranil said, as they settled down over their meal. "Sure, everyone knows there's going to be a Second Great War, but ... between Dov and Dominion, over religious differences? I don't think anyone's anticipated that. I know I never heard it discussed."

"Of course not," Bjorn said. "The dragons were only an old tale until ... what, six or eight months ago?" He paused, then turned to Shanti. "All right, if the dragons go to war with the elves, what happens to us humans? Odahviing said he'd try to keep the Empire out of it, but realistically, we're going to be right in the middle."

Shanti shook her head, then stretched. "I cannot say. I do not have a pure dovah mindset, having been born and raised Khajiit. And dovah honor is not like either human or Khajiit. Let me consult with Mulventoor."

* * *

Despite that consultation, she still wasn't too clear about why the dov reaction to the Thalmor denial that Akatosh could and had raised Talos to divinity was so strong. Yes, she was dovah as well, which made him her father too ... but not in the same close way her physical father was. Possibly their attachment to Akatosh was as close as hers was to S'Jherek. Still, she wouldn't be willing to start a war just to avenge an insult! Not that he'd want her to, even if she were so inclined.

The snow had stopped by noon the following day, and was loose enough she could clear a nice trail for them with Unrelenting Force instead of waiting for the next day. As they began climbing toward Skyborn Altar, she Called. *Britgrahreg, it is Dovahkiin. I would like to learn the Rotmulaag from your Word Wall.*

*Be welcome, you and yours, Youngest Sister. May I hope you have time for a bit of tinvaak?*

It would be rude to refuse after being granted a favor, so Shanti replied, *Of course, Elder Sister.*

Shanti chuckled as she absorbed "Fo", and Bjorn asked, "What's so funny?"

"It just seems fitting that I just got the first word of Frost Breath from a Word Wall guarded by the first frost dragon I met," she replied, then turned to thank Britgrahreg for her assistance.

"You are welcome, youngster," the dovah said. "Your people do not, I understand, speak Dovahzul, so we will speak Common so they may participate." She shook her wings briefly, then folded them neatly. "So, what is your objection to our war with those who insult Bormahu? Odahviing says you agree the insult is intolerable, but with no enthusiasm."

Shanti sighed deeply. "Because I fear, very greatly, that a limited war against the Thalmor may grow into far worse, perhaps something as terrible as the Dragon Wars. The Emperor was forced to agree to the White-Gold Concordat, which allows the Thalmor persecution of Talos worshippers. The alternative was total destruction of the Empire which my mortal father and I serve as Legion officers."

"As soon as this war becomes open, also," Voranil said, "the Thalmor will undoubtedly insist that the Emperor order Shanti to begin killing dragons, in the permanent way only she can. And her Legion oath will oblige her to obey."

Shanti grimaced. "Only if the Thalmor do not kill me first, of course. We cannot forget that execution order they have out on me." She hesitated. "Though I truly think I would prefer that to having to kill my kin. At least I would were it not for Alduin, who would kill them anyway."

"So does anyone have any ideas how to solve this little problem?" Bjorn asked. "If Odahviing starts his war, however justified he may think it, the Thalmor make the Emperor order Shanti to kill you people. After actually talking to a couple of you, I don't like that idea very much."

Britgrahreg rumbled thoughtfully. "I think I may, but it will take a day or two's thought. Continue on your way, but try to avoid the Thalmor patrols Odahviing wishes you to encounter. I will speak to him ... I have my doubts he bothered to think of all the implications. He has always been one of the most impulsive of our admittedly impulsive kind."

"Thank you, Elder Sister!" Shanti exclaimed. "We will certainly take your advice."


	28. Changes

.

Chapter 28 - Changes

*You wished to speak to me?* Odahviing asked, as he settled beside Britgrahreg on Skyborn Altar's Word Wall. *Does it have to do with the elves' insult to Bormahu?*

"Geh," Britgrahreg said, nodding. *Have you considered the problems such a feud could cause for our Youngest Sister?*

*I have given it some thought, geh. But they already have an execution order out on her, so it cannot increase her personal danger, and I have assured her that I will do my best to keep her Empire from getting involved.*

*As one of her men pointed out when they were here earlier so she could get the Rotmulaag, that may not be possible, and would put her in an extremely difficult position. She is dovah, of course, but she is also a mortal officer of the Imperial Legion. And the Empire is bound by the White-Gold Concordat, which requires them to cooperate with the Thalmor. Her man pointed out that their Ambassador could well demand the Emperor order her to kill all dovah.*

*She will not do that,* Odaviing said confidently. *She wishes to restore Bormahu's planned cooperation between dov and vodov. She is reluctant to kill any of us, much less all.*

*Zok vahzah, yet if she refuses, she would be in violation of her Legion oath, and thus subject to execution for treason. She has said that, were it not for Alduin, she would prefer her own death to killing us.*

*A position I would not willingly put her in, true, but I see no alternative if we are to avenge their insult - which she agreed must be done.*

*As do I, of course, but not until we can think of a way to do so without triggering our sister's death. She must face Alduin, to either die - in which case, everyone and everything else will, as well - or defeat him and become our Overlord.*

*Also very true. Hmmm.* Odahviing thought for a few minutes, then gave a decisive nod. *Very well. The insult must be avenged, as soon as it can reasonably be done. However, it is also true that causing her death by anyone but Alduin might well thwart Bormahu's plans for her. So it seems the insult must be allowed to stand until after that event, much as it disturbs me. But once she is dead or Overlord, it _will_ be avenged.*

*Fair enough, my brother,* Britgrahreg agreed. *And your patience, while a bit of a surprise, is gratifying. Is Paarthurnax influencing you?*

Odahviing shrugged. *Perhaps. He is suffering from his self-imposed exile, so I visit him for tinvaak fairly often. It will be good if Dovahkiin's victory frees him to fly freely and rejuvenate as a dovah should.*

* * *

White Gold Tower:

In his heavily warded office and conference room, Emperor Titus Mede II was meeting with his most trusted advisors about Commander Maro's latest report from Skyrim concerning the Khajiit called Shanti Dragonborn. None of them were too sure about her reported abilities, but there was no question of her accomplishments. Just her destruction of the Dark Brotherhood's last members had saved his own life, and revealed a plot against him by one of his Elder Council members.

That man, Amaund Motierre, had suffered a traitor's death after a confession in which he bragged about his cleverness. Commander Maro had given Lady Shanti full credit and three thousand septims for her killing of Astrid, the Dark Brotherhood leader, and he'd sent another hundred thousand from his own funds, just out of gratitude for his life, plus two thousand officially for each of the other assassins killed.

Unfortunately, she'd also aroused the ire of the Thalmor when one of her people had infiltrated the Thalmor Embassy above Solitude, then used the information found there to rescue someone the Thalmor wanted very much, killing one of their enforcement teams in the process. While Titus cheered for her inwardly, in public he had to pretend to condemn her. But this wasn't public.

"All right, all of you have read both Maro's report and Tullius'. I'm not at all sure she offended the Thalmor deliberately - that would be stupid, and our information says she isn't. But she's young, and ignorance, either political or factual, can be just as bad."

"Both of which apply to a seventeen-year-old girl raised by a Legion officer and a Bard, I fear," Crown Princess Raesa said. "We can't blame her for it, but it seems we're going to have to do whatever we can to protect her from them."

The head of the Penitus Oculatus, High Commander Astius Idolus, nodded. "I'm not sure how accurate those Nord legends about the World-Eater and the Dragonborn are, but there's no denying a black dragon named Alduin attacked Helgen and is resurrecting other dragons, or that Shanti of Solitude has absorbed _something_ from three of them. So we can't discount the possibility that the legends and prophecies are accurate, and she must survive to face Alduin to save everyone."

"Rather like the Hero of Kvatch saved Tamriel in the Oblivion Crisis," the Emperor said. "Yes, I can see that. But we're also bound by the Concordat, so we're limited in what we're actually able to do. I am open to suggestions."

* * *

Whiterun:

Shanti and her team had finished lunch and were about to start their discussion of the next day's activities when Lydia escorted a man wearing the scarlet tabard of an Imperial relay rider into her study. Shanti rose, surprised - such riders were only sent on crucial missions, and usually from the White Gold Tower. And this one was carrying a package, which was strange.

The rider bowed gracefully to her. "Lady Shanti Dragonborn?"

Shanti returned the bow. "I am she."

The rider smiled, extending the package. "His Majesty instructed me to deliver this to your hands only, my Lady, and to get a receipt in your handwriting once you had seen and read the contents."

What? The Emperor himself had sent her a package? The money for destroying the Dark Brotherhood hadn't been exactly unexpected, thanks to Commander Maro, but this was ... out of the Void! "Ah ... certainly. Make yourself comfortable while I do so."

"Thank you, my Lady." The rider silently took a seat next to Voranil.

"Yes," Voranil replied absently, his attenion on Shani and the package she was opening.

Shanti's ears went forward when the first item proved to be a hand-written letter from the Emperor. He repeated his gratitude for her destruction of the Dark Brotherhood, then ... apologized for what the rest of the package held, but that it was intended to protect her as much as possible from the Thalmor.

She frowned, handed the letter to Voranil with instructions to pass it around, and opened the next document. That one almost made her weep. It was ... retirement papers. She'd lost her Legion position nearly as soon as she'd gotten it. Instead of Specialist Legate, she was now Legate (retired). She passed that one along to Voranil as well, and unfolded the third item, the largest in the package, dreading it.

Then she frowned. An ordination certificate, saying she was now a Priestess of Akatosh? And a flame-patterned robe of that priesthood?

Again, she passed the papers along, then frowned. "I ... don't understand. His Majesty wants to protect me, so retirement seems reasonable, sort of, if unwelcome ... but priesthood? That I cannot understand."

S'Wynn studied the documents, then chuckled. "Clever, very clever. A Priestess of Akatosh, and ordained by the Chief Priest of the ... Eight ... himself. Not that the Divines intervene openly very often - the last time was two hundred years ago - but even the remote possibility of the Dragonborn's Divine Father and their own chief deity intervening on her behalf may be enough to make the Thalmor cautious about harming her."

Bjorn frowned. "That seems like awfully flimsy protection, but if it's the best they can do, which I believe, we'll take it." He turned to the courier. "May I ask if this information was also sent to General Tullius and High Priest Rorlund in Solitude?"

The courier shrugged. "I wasn't told, I'm afraid. So if you want to be sure, maybe you should tell them yourselves, with the documentation I brought."

"Well, that changes our plans for the day," Shanti said. "I need to tell my parents as well - and introduce S'Wynn." She smiled at the courier. "If you are allowed to rest before your return, you are welcome to stay here. We have guest rooms, and Lydia will show you to one."

"I'm to return as soon as I have your handwritten reply, my Lady."

"Then you will be here overnight, since I must travel to Solitude for those errands before I will feel free to compose it," Shanti said, and smiled. "I do not think you will find the stay unpleasant. We should be back by morning, then perhaps an hour or so to compose my letter."

"I'd be happy to accept your hospitality, then, my Lady."

* * *

Shanti's first stop in Solitude was General Tullius' office, where she found him in conference with Legate Rikke. After their usual greetings, he frowned. "You're not looking very happy, Legate Shanti. Is something wrong?"

"On a personal level, yes, but officially, no." She handed him the retirement papers. "I did not wish this, but I cannot refuse it."

He studied them in silence for a few minutes, then handed them to Rikke before turing back to Shanti. "I'm truly sorry to see that, Legate," he said. "Especially since you weren't in long enough to earn retirement pay."

Shanti waved that off. "My adventuring pays well enough I do not need that ... but may a forced retiree still offer her services, if needed? Or even just wanted?"

Tullius smiled. "Not even His Majesty would refuse a volunteer, Lady Dragonborn. If that's what you want, I'll feel free to call on you whenever you can do something the more conventional forces can't. And even as a retiree, you retain most of your active duty prerogatives, such as swearing in recruits, field promotions, Legion prices from quartermasters, and the like. And medical care, of course, if you're hurt beyond what you, Voranil, and now S'Wynn, can provide"

"Thank you, my friend. I would miss working with the Legions." She grinned, remembering something. "Are you getting more troops? Voranil suggested you might ask for and receive reinforcements."

"Yes, thank the Divines!" Tullius returned her grin. "Two full Legions, One for the Reach, to cope with the Forsworn getting restive again, and another for Eastmarch and the rest of the east of Skyrim, to take over for the Stormcloaks who kept their version of order there."

"Excellent!" That meant he'd be a proper General, commanding more than a single Legion, which made her happy for him. He deserved that recognition.

"And you say the Emperor sent vestments along with your ordination certificate," Rikke said thoughtfully. When Shanti nodded, she continued. "Then if you have them with you, may I suggest you wear them? Over your armor, if they're large enough."

Shanti's ears pricked forward curiously. "They are in my pack, and they look large enough. Why?"

"Because the simplest route to the Temple of the Divines is past the Thalmor headquarters, and I think they'd be less likely to attack someone in vestments than someone in armor ... but I could be wrong, so I'd rather you keep the armor on. From what I understand, that stuff is virtually impregnable."

"To anything trying to get through the scales, yes, since it is made from the strongest side and back scales. But something going between them will only be hampered by the dragonskin substructure, which, while much stronger than regular leather, can be penetrated by a strong enough blade."

"Then something concealing the joints between the scales is an excellent idea," Tullius said. "If you don't want to wear vestments all the time, I'd suggest having surcoats made."

"A very good idea indeed," S'Wynn agreed. "We three are doing everything we can to protect her, but we cannot give her complete cover, so any advantages we can get will be beneficial."

"I'll talk to the sisters who run the Radiant Raiment," Rikke said. "Surcoats are pretty simple, unless you want elaborate embroidery, so they should be able to have something basic put together in an hour or so."

"And nothing flashy," Bjorn said. "We'll probably be in dim light a lot, so dark gray, maybe."

"Right. I'll take care of it."

"Then we should go up to the Temple." Shanti shrugged out of her pack straps, dug out her vestments and put them on, then repacked her gear and put her pack back on.

The trip up to the Temple was interrupted as they passed Thalmor headquarters, but it wasn't as bad as Shanti had expected. One of the two guards sneered, mumbling under his breath about "a cat in Auriel's holy robes" being a desecration, but neither of them acted, and Shanti breathed a quiet prayer of thanks as she and her team continued up to the Temple.

Rorlund met them just inside the door, which meant Tullius or Rikke had sent a runner up to warn him, though Shanti hadn't seen one. Rorlund chuckled when he saw her. "You look odd in vestments, my young friend, but come in, come in. And welcome to the priesthood ... it's only appropriate that Akatosh's daughter be His priestess as well, in my opinion."

"Mine as well," S'Wynn surprised her by saying. "A Khajiit born in Skyrim with a dovah soul ... " He paused, then snickered, Shanti coundn't think of a more fitting word. "Cats and Dragons and Nords ... oh, my! This will definitely be amusing."

"Given the stakes, I can think of more appropriate terminology," Rorlund said with a frown. "Though a part of me sees your point, I must admit." He turned to Shanti. "I'd recommend you leave your ordination certificate and vestments here, under Divine protection, unless you need them elsewhere."

"We should not," Shanti replied. "The certificate is safest here, and within an hour or so, we should all have surcoats to serve the same practical purpose as my vestments, namely concealing the joins in our armor."

"That's good," Rorlund said approvingly, then his voice became brisk. "Now, though your ordination was certainly valid, it was also extremely unconventional. Do you feel any true Calling for the priesthood?"

"Not in the way I think you mean the question, no. I wish to do His will, of course, but for me, the priesthood is a means to that end, not the end in itself."

"And what end is that?" Rorlund asked, then shook his head. "No, I shouldn't have asked that. We'll all find out once you've defeated Alduin, I'm sure." He sighed. "I have to believe you will, you know. And you may need to function as a priestess in the interim. Are you familiar with the rituals you may have to perform?"

"Only as a lay worshiper," Shanti said. "Would you have any training materials I could borrow?"

"Not borrow; I'll issue you a full set of the manuals and handouts we give every novice. You already know healing spells, I believe?"

"Yes, sir, from the Legion battlemages. Also a couple of other spells, and of course my Thu'umme."

"Good. I'll have a set put together for you. Where should I have it delivered?"

"Proudspire Manor, please. As soon as I leave here, I need to let my parents know what is happening with me."

Rorlund gave her an approving smile. "As a proper son or daughter should. Go ahead; it'll take me an hour or so to get everything together."

* * *

It was late enough in the day when they arrived at Proudspire Manor that Shanti fully expected to find her parents at home, and she wasn't disappointed. Ko-Adanji hugged her as soon as she walked through the door, paying no attention to the sharp scales of her daughter's armor. "Darling, we heard you'd had some bad news. How do you feel?"

Shanti gave an inelegant snort. "I hate it, how do you think? But my feelings aren't important. I think I understand why both were done, though His Majesty's letter wasn't as specific as I would have liked." She grinned, waving her arm to encompass the whole Manor. "How do you like it?"

Ko'Adanji laughed. "After Married Officer Quarters, it seems huge, but ... I really like it, and so does your father. Darius is going to have to hire a couple of servants, though; it's too much for just one person to care for."

"If he hires a cook, warn me when I visit, all right? You do know I visit mostly for his cooking!"

"Of course you do, darling. Just don't try to hire him away from us now that you have your own manor, all right?"

Shanti laughed. "As if a housecarl could be hired away! But if he knows any other decent cooks, I'd appreciate a reference. Whiterun isn't exactly known for its cuisine."

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Come on into the ... I suppose you'd call it a seating pit? ... for some kumiss and talk. Your friends can come along, and we have guest rooms, but I don't believe I know the one in scholar's robes?"

"Oh!" Shanti's ear-tips heated. "He is S'Wynn, who joined us since my last visit. He is a scholar of the Dwemer and other subjects, and an accomplished mage. S'Wynn, my mother, Bard Ko'Adanji."

"Honored, Bard." S'Wynn bowed gracefully. "Since we met, I have taken it as my duty to help protect your daughter, at least until she faces her fated enemy, and possibly beyond that."

S'Jherek entered the room. "Ah, I thought I heard voices!" He smiled at S'Wynn. "Be welcome here, then. And yes, she seems to inspire either hatred or great loyalty - I'm glad to find you in the latter category."

"And I to be there," S'Wynn said.

"But I have some important information for you before we get into chat," Shanti put in. "Mums, Dad ... as well as I can interpret his letter - I get the impression he had to be discreet in what he actually wrote - but His Majesty was concerned enough about my safety from the Thalmor that ... well, I've been retired from the Legion, and ordained as a priestess of Akatosh. So when you hear those as rumors, well, they really aren't."

Her father frowned. "That must be one of the shortest surviving-officer careers in the Legion. You're sure it was for your safety?"

"From the tone of the letter, yes ... though the reason given on the retirement papers was simply 'for the benefit of the Empire.'"

Her father thought about that for a moment, then laughed. "Yes, keeping you alive is definitely to the Empire's benefit! And the ordination?"

"That Akatosh's soul-daughter was uniquely qualified to be His priestess." Shanti chuckled at that. "If his logic stands, we may have an over-supply of that particular hierarchy, if my hopes are realized. Bormahu has a great number of sons, and somewhat fewer daughters, though the rest of his current children have wings."

There was a moment of silence, then Ko'Adanji and S'Wynn both let out howls of laughter. Ko'Adanji calmed first, and grinned at her daughter. "The dragons! That, if it happens, will cause ... a bit of disruption."


	29. An Old Friend

.

Chapter 29 - An Old Friend

When they left for Riften the next morning, Shanti, Voranil, and Bjorn were wearing gray surcoats over their bronze-colored dragonscale armor, and S'Wynn, as usual, wore his gray scholar robes, a bit lighter shade than theirs.

The weather was nice enough that Shanti would have liked to ride, but since she also wanted to stop by High Hrothgar and ask about any Rotmulagge the Greybeards had detected, she teleported the group instead.

After that brief stop, which gained her a clue to Ironbound Barrow, they continued to Riften, where Shanti headed to the Grand Plaza - a rather pretentious name for their market area, she thought - to deliver some items to Madesi, a jeweler, and the blacksmith, Balimund.

When that was done, she went to Brynjolf's stall. He might be a thief, and the Guildmaster-Second, but he was undeniably charming, and probably attractive to Nord women, as well. He was still hawking his Falmer Blood Elixir, but stopped his spiel and grinned when she approached. "Lady Shanti! Nice to see you again. Anything I can do for you?"

"A meeting with your Guild Master, if possible." She twitched an ear at him, hoping he knew enough about Khajiit to understand the gesture. "While I do not particularly care to have any dealings with the Thieves Guild, given your current and growing strength, it is inevitable. So I would like to make sure your Guild will not interfere with my primary mission."

"I think that can be arranged, Dragonborn," Brynjolf said with a grin. "You've already done us a service, if unknowingly, and I think Mercer'd be willing to talk."

Shanti smiled to herself. He'd understood, and was helping her remain distanced as far as possible from the Guild. Of course, it was in the Guild's interest as well, that it not be too closely connected to the Dragonborn. "Thank you. Do you have any idea how soon it could be set up?"

"Pretty quickly, I should think," Brynjolf replied. "Why don't you and your people have a few drinks in the Bee and Barb while I check with him?"

"That sounds reasonable," Shanti agreed. "We will wait for you there."

The four entered the inn and found a table. Talen-Jei, the innkeeper's assistant, took their order after suggesting a new drink to Shanti. "It's the Scarlet Dragon, in honor of your ally," he said. "I tailored it for Khajiit taste, though - heavy cream with a touch of moon sugar, honey for added sweetness, and snowberry juice for color and a touch of tartness."

"I will try that, yes," Shanti said, intrigued by the description. S'Wynn wanted to try it as well, but Voranil opted for wine and Bjorn for mead, as usual. When their drinks arrived, Talen-Jei waited until Shanti and S'Wynn had tasted their Scarlet Dragons. Shanti smiled and purred in approval. "Excellent. With moon sugar, I feared it might be too strong, but this is not enough to impair my reactions. I like it."

S'Wynn chuckled. "Myself, I would prefer more moon sugar, but otherwise I agree with Lady Shanti. It is an excellent beverage. Perhaps offer it with the option to add an extra spoon or two of moon sugar at the patron's discretion?"

"That's a good idea. I gather you would like the extra?"

S'Wynn nodded. "Two spoons, please."

* * *

As they were finishing their first drinks, Talen-Jai approached again. "Keerava heard something she thinks you ought to know about, Lady Shanti. There's talk on the street that a Thalmor agent is in the city, tracking you. Khajiit, probably female, name unknown."

Shanti smiled. "Please thank her for the warning ... we will be cautious. Now, I would like a second Scarlet Dragon, please, and whatever Keerava has for the daily special."

* * *

The rest had just ordered dinner when Brynjolf joined them. "Sorry it took me so long," he apologized. "Mercer's been a bit preoccupied lately. Seems one of our best clients just found out her honey supplier has been sold out to some unknown buyer. But yeah, he'll talk to you. Only you, though; your people will have to wait here or in the Flagon while you're in the Cistern."

"The Flagon," Voranil decided quickly. "With a Thalmor agent maybe stalking her, I don't want her going through the Ratway with just you for protection."

"Normally I'd be insulted that you would think I wasn't capable of protecting someone for such a short trip, but given the stakes, I can't really blame you. We'll go as soon as you finish your meal."

Shanti would have liked to take the time to really savor her second Scarlet Dragon, but meeting with Mercer Frey was important, so she finished it and her meal about the same time Voranil and the rest did. S'Wynn was on his third drink and purring softly, his eyes a bit unfocused, but when she and Voranil stood and Bjorn tossed back the last of his mead, the black-and-orange Khajiit seemed to become instantly alert.

The group followed Brynjolf to the Ratway entrance - where a female Khajiit jumped at Shanti, yelling, "And now you pay for meddling in the Thalmor's affairs!"

They'd all had their weapons out, and before the agent's blow could strike, she'd been cut down by two swords and a dagger, the latter Brynjolf's. He knelt and did a quick, professional search of the body, then stood and handed Voranil a note.

Voranil opened and read it, then grinned. "This was our Thalmor agent, all right. And sent by Elenwen herself, it would seem. Here, read it for yourselves." He handed the note to Shanti.

 _I have good reason to believe the target will be coming to Riften in the next few days. Discretion is preferred, but elimination of the target is of the highest priority. The usual restrictions on exposure are lifted - you will be reassigned outside Skyrim if necessary, without penalty._

 _Do not fail me._

 _-E_

"Yes, that looks like Elenwen gave the order," Shanti agreed. "But there is nothing I can do about it except send it on to General Tullius, so we might as well continue."

The rest of the trip to the Flagon was quiet, though Shanti was surprised, when they arrived, to find it better decorated and with merchants in a couple of the previously empty alcoves, though the smell hadn't improved. She left the other three in the small tavern section, then followed Brynjolf into the larger Cistern living area.

By the time Brynjolf had finished introducing them, Shanti had decided she didn't care for Mercer Frey, and she got the impression it was mutual. But the Breton was polite when he asked, "Why would you want stealth training, Dragonborn? It won't help you in your battle with Alduin."

"True," Shanti acknowledged. "However, it will help me survive while I gain the experience I need for that battle."

"I see. Then you might want to rethink the pickpocketing, unless you plan to put off your battle for at least three years - that is the shortest time I've seen for anyone to become truly proficient."

"Very well, then remove that from the curriculum. Now what must I do to earn the rest of the training? If you will not be satisfied with cash, that is."

"Cash would work, of course, but I'd rather you do jobs for us that might be easier for the Dragonborn than for a Guild member. And I have a good test job in mind for you. You're not the criminal type, that's clear, but this person may have to be bribed to cooperate."

At least he recognized that about her, Shanti thought grumpily. "Marginally acceptable, if the person is not an Imperial official, and I cannot persuade him in any other way."

Brynjolf laughed, and even Frey smiled a bit. "Ah, no. Gulum-Ei is hardly an Imperial official. But he's also not very susceptible to persuasion. He used to be our inside man at the East Empire Company warehouse, but for some reason, he decided to break off that connection. However, I have reason to believe that he may have been behind the sale of the Goldenglow Estate, and I need to know who the buyer was, what the symbol on this note means, and anything else you may be able to find out."

Mercer showed her the symbol on the note, but not the rest of it, and she shook her head. "That is the first time I have seen such a symbol, but I will ask. Though I admit to considerable surprise that Gulum-Ei had any connection with your Guild." It was more than a surprise; it was a shock! But she continued, keeping her voice as calm as she could. "I knew him as maintenance chief of the EETC warehouse. He used to buy me flavored milk when I was allowed to go to the Skeever, and tell me tales even a child knew were too fantastic to be true. I have seen almost nothing of him since I joined the Junior Legion, though, since we were encouraged to avoid taverns unless we actually needed to rent a room to sleep in."

"Hmm. That you know him could be a help," Frey said. "Well, go. Get the information we need, tell me what it took, and I'll decide how much training it's earned you."

"Fair enough." Shanti took her leave, went back to the Flagon to collect her people, and they returned home to Whiterun.

* * *

When Shanti approached Gulum-Ei - alone, but with the rest fairly close - he rose and gave her a toothy smile. "Shanti, girl! I haven't seen much of you since you joined the Juniors ... and you've come up in the world a long way, since then. What brings you back to the Skeever?"

"A job. May I join you?"

"Of course." Gulum-Ei stood and pulled out a chair for her, then bellowed for the bartender to bring her a glass of kumiss. He returned to his own seat, and when she was served, said more quietly, "A job? From you? I'd doubt I could do anything for the Dragonborn." Then he hesitated, and his voice dropped. "But rumor says you've been in the Ratway. If it's something for the Guild, I'm not interested. And I'm surprised you'd have anything to do with them."

Shanti shrugged. "I need some stealth training, and Bjorn says they're the best at that. So I trade some non-criminal work for that training."

"And what does that have to do with me? I cut ties with them over a year ago." He grinned at her. "Not suddenly turning honest, like I'm pretty sure you thought I always was. Honesty, at least for me, is as boring as it is unprofitable. Actually, I miss the Guild - but there's something not right going on there. Has been since Mercer took over, but it's been getting worse lately. I have a feeling something's going to break soon."

"You may be right. I only met him day before yesterday, but he makes me ... uneasy. Though I rather like Brynjolf, and Vex and Delvin are the ones training me."

"You won't find any better," Gulum-Ei said. "And of course you like Bryn - being likable is his stock in trade, as a scam artist. Now, what's your job got to do with me?"

"Frey thinks you may know something about the Goldenglow Estate sale, or this symbol." She showed him the drawing she'd made of it.

Gulum-Ei scowled. "If it were anyone else, or you hadn't retired from the Legion, I'd say nothing. But given our friendship and you being Dragonborn ... yeah, I've seen it, on the bill of sale. Where did _you_ see it?"

"Frey showed it to me, on a piece of paper he hid the rest of. Possibly the bill of sale, but I cannot be sure of that. What can you tell me?"

Gulum-Ei sighed. "All right. I was approached by a woman who wanted me to act as the broker for something big. She flashed a bag of gold in my face and said all I had to do was pay Aringoth for the estate. I took him the coin and walked away with her copy of the deed."

"That is strange," Shanti said, frowning. "Did she say anything about why she wanted a bee farm?"

"No, and I tend not to ask too many questions when I'm on the job. I'm sure you understand. However, I did notice she was quite angry and it was being directed at Mercer Frey."

"Do you have any idea who she was?"

Gulum-Ei gave the impression of a frown. "I ... I'm not sure. She did look vaguely familiar, but I only met her one time, and that was a quarter century ago, so I could be wrong, and I'd rather not accuse someone mistakenly. Besides, that individual's presumed dead - or at least hasn't been reliably reported as alive in that quarter century."

"If you are unsure, and the person you think it might be is presumed dead, what is the harm in saying? I will say your identification is most tentative."

Gulum-Ei snorted, reminding her of an amused Odahviing. "You're no con artist like Brynjolf, but you're persuasive in your own way, little Shanti. I hope you know those stories I told you back in the day weren't true, but the way you asked, I didn't have the heart to refuse. I think it was Karliah, the one who killed the old Guildmaster, Gallus."

Shanti chuckled. "Yes, I knew even then ... but you told them so well! I thought you should've been a bard rather than a maintenance man."

"Actually, thief, smuggler, and sometimes fence," Gulum-Ei told her. "Not that I'd have told you that back then, and I probably shouldn't now ... but, well, you've always been special to me. Maybe it's that dragon soul of yours, calling out to a lesser reptile."

Shanti frowned, her ears going back in annoyance. "Stop that! You are not a 'lesser reptile' at all! You're a friend of mine, if I may still call you that, who simply happens to be an Argonian."

"Sure, you can still call me your friend ... and it's nice to know you want to. Just ... tell Mercer I helped you, and that I'm worth more to him alive than dead?"

"Certainly, since it is true. But did this Karliah give any hints as to what she would be doing now? If she is indeed a murderer, she must be stopped."

"Um. Not really, but she did mutter something about 'where the end began' - not too helpful, I'm afraid. Look, I've got the Goldenglow deed hidden away in what used to be my headquarters, Brinewater Grotto, inside the East Empire warehouse. Wait here, and I'll go get it so you can give it to Mercer to prove my sincerity."

"May I go along?" Shanti asked eagerly. "That warehouse must be awesome ... doesn't it even have a harbor inside a huge cave? That's what the stories say, at least. Though that's almost as fantastic as some of your tales!"

"Sure, and bring your bodyguards ... the EETC'd be pleased to hear the Dragonborn took an interest in their operation here, and my people will be impressed seeing me in your company."

* * *

The external docks were nothing special, but when Gulum-Ei led them into the cavernous warehouse, Shanti's breath caught. It was fabulous! Several full-sized ships docked in a cavern larger that she'd imagined possible, and with no visible exit ... magic absolutely had to be involved. Illusion or alteration, she couldn't be sure ... alteration, if the ships were safe from whatever storms actually made it into the rest of Solitude Harbor.

And the edges, the warehouse proper, were equally amazing. Shelves, buildings, crates of goods everywhere. Yes, it'd be a thief's or smuggler's paradise, with so much merchandise a bit of it going missing would never be noticed. "This is ... incredible!"

One of the Company wardens accompanying them chuckled. "It is, isn't it, Lady Dragonborn? I think there may be another harbor/warehouse combination at the Imperial City in Cyrodiil, but this is the only one in Skyrim, and we're very proud of it."

"Understandably so," Shanti said. "I had heard stories, but they sounded even more fantastic than some Bardic tales of the Dawn or Merethic Eras. Now I see they are nothing but truth." She pointed across the water. "Even dry-docks?"

"Aye, Lady," another warden replied. "Usually got one under work, another one, sometimes two, waiting. We're a big profit point for the Company."

"You have no theft?" Shanti actually knew the answer to that, but was curious about the answer.

"Sure, there's some, but that's inevitable, and it's a whole lot less than our losses to storms, most years, so we don't worry too much about it. Though if it weren't more expensive to stop than to tolerate, you can bet we'd stop it!"

Shanti laughed. "Very pragmatic of you. Oh!"

The sounds of hooves had startled her, and she pointed to a shelf. "I thought I saw a goat jumping up there!"

"You probably did," their guide said. "Wildlife gets in occasionally, when we open the shields to let a ship in ... just killed a sabercat a week ago. So where now?"

"You might as well head back and have an ale or two," Gulum-Ei said. "I'll show them the far side, including the harbor-master's office if he's there, and bring them back. You should have enough for a Black Horse Courier note about the Dragonborn's reaction to our biggest operation in Skyrim by now."

"Uh ... " The tour leader sounded mildly embarrassed. "Yeah, we do, but who knows if they'll want to run that sort of provincial news? If they do, though, we'll send both of you a copy."

Once the wardens had left, Gulum-Ei led them at a faster pace, past another dry-docked ship and beside heavily-stacked shelves, then down into the water. "It's only a short swim," he reassured them, then led them down and back up to a door he opened. "Welcome to my realm, Dragonborn!"

As loudly as he'd said that, Shanti was sure he'd intended it to be heard, and she smiled, replying at the same volume. "I thank you for the welcome, my friend. I should have believed you, all those years ago."

* * *

Shanti was amazed that an operation like this could exist within the EETC's main Skyrim location, but the winding river within a sub-cavern was just as well organized, if considerably smaller. She followed Gulum-Ei along rock ledges, across hanging bridges, past loaded shelves and docked small boats - no ships, not here! Eventually they arrived at a dead end, and Gulum-Ei went to a desk tucked into a corner. When he returned, he handed her an official-looking paper. "Here's the deed. Do what you want with it - it's been nothing but trouble for me."

"I will take it to Frey, along with the rest of your information. I hope it will help you, but I can make no promises."

"I know you can't, my little friend, and I won't be contacting the Guild directly until ... well, until someone other than Mercer's in control. As I said, I think he's up to something, and it's not for the Guild's benefit, it's for his."

"I understand, and I will keep that in mind when I report to him."

"Thanks, Shanti. But that's all there is to see in here, so we might as well head back out."

* * *

"Hold on a second," Voranil said when they exited the warehouse. "Bjorn, isn't that the argonian we saw accompanying Rodryn after the battle of Whiterun?" he asked, pointing at two argonians that were talking on the pier.

"By the Hist," Gulum-Ei interrupted before Bjorn could respond, looking worriedly at Shanti. "Please tell you're not involved with Rodryn Ashcroft."

"Involved? Only in that he saved my life during the battle for Whiterun, then visited during my convalescence, which allowed me to thank him," Shanti explained as she looked over at the bronze-scaled argonian armed with a short sword. "Perhaps the Argonian would be willing to take him a message, but we do not know his name."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Gulum-Ei said hesitantly. "Talking to him, I mean."

"Why not?" Shanti asked, surprised at her friend's sudden discomfort.

"As far as I know, his name is Zyraxis," Gulum-Ei said before he suddenly grabbed her shoulders. "Shanti, promise me that, once you finish talking to him, you'll do everything you can to stay away from Rodryn and his men."

Shanti hesitated. General Tullius had cautioned her about Rodryn and his people earlier, and after Gulum-Ei's earlier admission of his criminal background, he probably knew more about the group than the General did. And he was very emphatic ... so she nodded. "I know little about him myself, except that he saved my life. But you are not the first one to warn me about him. So no, I will not seek him out. But I also cannot promise never to see him again."

"That'll have to do, then," Gulum-Ei said. "I don't know who the one with the spear is, but being with Zyraxis, he's likely another of Rodryn's men."

* * *

"Excuse me, Zyraxis?" Shanti said as both Argonians turned to her as she approached. "May I have a moment?"

Zyraxis looked past her as he sized up Voranil and Bjorn while giving a series of growls to the other argonian, who replied with his own grunts and hisses before leisurely walking away.

"What?" Zyraxis asked, annoyed, in broken Cyrodiilic.

"Ahh ... General Tullius would like to meet with Rodryn, to discuss something possibly mutually advantageous about the Thalmor. I am assured there will be no danger to Rodryn in such a meeting."

The Argonian glared at her suspiciously for a few seconds, clearly trying to determine whether she was lying to him or not. Then he nodded shortly. "You'll have your answer tomorrow," he said as he started to walk away. "Stay in Solitude."

Shanti sighed as she watched him leave. Rodryn had been so charming it was difficult to think of him as a criminal, despite what both Tullius and Gulum-Ei had said ... but this Zyraxis was an entirely different matter.


	30. Hanging Around

Chapter 30 - Hanging Around

Shanti watched Zyraxis leave, and sighed. She had entirely too much to do to spend a day just waiting around to be contacted, but it also seemed she didn't have a lot of choice, so she and her team, accompanied by Gulum-Ei, headed back up to the city.

About halfway there, Gulum-Ei asked quietly, "Did he really save your life, Shanti, or just make it seem like he did?"

"Really," Shanti replied. "I cannot guess how much you have heard about the Battle for Whiterun, but a Stormcloak mage materialized a frost atronach right beside me, and it knocked me off the wall. Voranil says that before he could do anything, someone else had caught me with telekinesis, and shifted me so I landed on my back instead of my head. I was still badly injured, but at least I was alive, and he later found out it was Rodryn Ashcroft."

"Huh. I wouldn't have thought he'd ever save a life, but ... okay." Gulum-Ei fell silent, and the rest of the trip was quiet.

* * *

When Shanti got to Proudspire Manor, Darius was just arriving with the day's shopping, so she helped him get everything put away, then start to prepare dinner. "What is it today?" she asked.

"Something a bit different," he said. "Slaughterfish stuffed with clams, in lavender sauce, with chicken dumplings as the side dish. Sound good?"

"It sounds delicious! Is there anything I can do to help?"

Darius grinned at her. "Sure. Cutting up the vegetables and meat, of course."

"Which I am very good at, by now." Shanti laughed. "Just let me get into house-clothes, and I will be right back. Unless you want me using a sword to chop vegetables!"

Darius gave a theatrical shudder. "Divines forbid! Go change, and we'll get to work."

* * *

After supper, Voranil and Bjorn went to Castle Dour to report, saying they'd be back in the morning. Shanti and S'Wynn headed for the Winking Skeever to speak to Maenen, the man Diana at the Tall Mast Tavern had told her was an associate of Aerandil, the Thalmor slaver.

Naturally, Shanti first headed for the alcove Gulum-Ei had made his own, and greeted him happily. After a few minutes' chat, she asked him about Maenen, and he grimaced. "That bastard? Look, Shanti, I admit I'm no angel, but at least I'm no Oblivion-cursed slaver. See that Altmer at the table in the center of the room?"

Shanti looked around, then turned back and nodded. "He is Maenen?"

"Yeah. Do what you need to, girl. The Guild will back you against slavers, if necessary."

"Good, and thank you." She and S'Wynn stood, then approached the Altmer's table.

He turned to face them. "Yes? Ah, Dragonborn, is it?"

"I am she," Shanti replied. "And you are Maenen, part of Aerandil's slaver ring, are you not?"

"What?" He looked indignant. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I spoke to Diana at the Tall Mast Tavern. She suggested I should see you about Aerandil's ... ah ... legal avoidances."

She heard a giggle behind her, but ignored it for the moment.

"Bitch," Maenen said, calmly. "All right. I suppose you'd threaten to kill me if I don't tell you, and I know you could do it legally ... so yeah. Just promise you'll let me leave Skyrim, okay?"

"Done," Shanti agreed. "Now, where are the slaves taken?"

"Orphan's Tear Mine, near the old shipwreck. Then they're staged into the slave ship for ... wherever." Maenen shrugged. "I don't know - the destinations change every trip. At a guess, most go to Alinor, but they could actually head to Morrowind or anywhere, for all I know."

"That is sufficient. But you will leave Skyrim on the next available vessel, do you understand? Or Imperial justice will find you."

"I understand, and I will be leaving tomorrow. I won't be back." He stood and left.

From behind her, a familiar voice chuckled. "Beautiful, Shanti. I wouldn't have believed it of you, a couple of years ago."

She turned, to find one of the few other Khajiit in Solitude. "La'Nashi! I have not seen you in weeks! How are you doing?"

La'Nashi joined her at the now-vacant table. "Just fine, thanks - but you're the adventurous one. How's the Dragonborn business going?"

"Not exactly what you might expect from the tales," Shanti replied. "Have you heard I have allied with a few?"

"Oh, yes! I even saw the red one you called here to meet General Tullius - Odd-wing, or something like that."

Shanti chuckled. "Odahviing - translates to Snow Hunter Wing. My first dovah ally, and his sometimes-mate Britgrahreg - Beautiful Battle Lady - was my second. I hope we will become friends, as well as allies."

"Friends, with a dragon - that sounds unbelievable," La'Nashi said "But if anyone can, it'll be you."

"Pray to all the Divines it happens," Shanti said. "I ... do not want to think what might happen if I cannot." She shook herself, then smiled. "And what of you? Still trying to attract exotic clients, or has Madame Livia discouraged you from that?"

La'Nashi chucukled warmly. "Not at all, since I attracted Orog gro-Fakal to my bed. He paid very well indeed, and has been back several times, just as profitably. I'm allowed to pick my own clients now, and refuse ones like that scummy Erikur. I've had another couple of Orsimer, and tried an Argonian." She grimaced. "That was a disaster ... Argonians and Khajiit are just too different."

"But Orcs are not? I would have thought ... " Shanti interrupted herself. La'Nashi was the professional in that field. So she smiled. "And you call me the adventurous one! You are rather adventurous yourself."

La'Nashi snickered. "Of course, in my own way. But I'd never dream of putting on real armor or swinging a real weapon, or - Divines forbid! - facing a hostile dragon. I can't imagine where you get the courage to even explore a barrow!" She shuddered. "The songs about you make it sound like it doesn't bother you at all."

"It has gotten fairly routine, and is much less of a problem since I got all three words of the Fire Breath Shout. My first few were ... well, both strange and frightening. Especially Bleak Falls Barrow, where I had my first encounter with a Word Wall, and on the road to Rorikstead, when I and those with me had to fight Vuljotnaak."

"And won, of course." La'Nashi shuddered again, then grinned. "It's sometimes odd to think I've been friends with the Dragonborn for years, but I scarcely know the Dragonborn of the songs. Yet you're the same person."

"Indeed I am, and we need to get together more often, when our schedules coincide." Shanti paused, looking around, but saw no one paying attention. "I have missed our talks and shopping trips, and I would dearly love to show you my new home in Whiterun. Do you ever get a chance to travel there?"

La'Nashi chuckled. "I've missed them too, and yes, I can, as long as I can clear my schedule before I leave. How about I see what I can do in the next month or so, and send a courier to let you know?"

"That would be wonderful!" Shanti exclaimed. "My own schedule is mostly day-to-day, so whenever you are free, I will arrange to be, as well. A day or two just for relaxation would be pleasant, but you will probably be propositioned by my Khajiit bodyguard, S'Wynn. He does it to me regularly, though in my case, it seems to be mostly teasing."

La'Nashi grinned. "Is he good-looking? That, or rich? I don't like doing without too long, so a handsome Khajiit wouldn't be unwelcome."

"Very attractive, but I know nothing about his financial status. That will have to be your decision, of course."

"It always is, these days." La'Nashi stood. "But it's about time for me to get back to work. Expect a courier when I get my schedule cleared!"

"I look forward to it." Shanti rose as well, and watched her friend leave, smiling fondly. She wouldn't have La'Nashi's life for anything, and that was obviously reciprocated, but that didn't harm their friendship.

* * *

The next morning, Shanti felt at loose ends. She still had to stay in Solitude waiting for some sort of contact from Rodryn or Zyraxis, very different from her usual drive to accomplish some specific goal - like going after a Dragon Priest, these days. She really wanted to go after Krosis, at Shearpoint and Volsung, at Volskyygge, but that couldn't happen yet. So she decided to visit a bookseller friend of hers, Vincent at the New Dawn bookstore, and the thought brought a smile to her face as she watched her parents leave for work.

She hid a sigh as she left Proudspire Manor accompanied by her team. She liked all three of them, but having them with her all the time was getting a bit annoying, especially in Solitude. She was used to wandering the city freely, feeling thoroughly protected by the City Guard. She was also fairly sure none of the three would be very interested in a tiny, dusty bookstore or its middle-aged Breton proprietor.

Her team decided to remain outside, which was fine with Shanti, if only because it was more cramped inside than most shops. Vincent was even worse than Shanti herself when it came to accumulating books, and she was pretty sure that even the wonderful library of Ofansebalgruuf wouldn't hold the New Dawn's contents simply on the shelves.

Stepping inside, she took a deep breath, and was swept back to the first time she had entered the shop with her mother. She'd been about six, and her mother had wanted her to explain her interests to Vincent. The shop had smelled exactly the same, and she'd caught her breath at the sheer number of books. That had amused Vincent, and they'd hit it off immediately. She'd spent a lot of hours since then haunting the store and chatting with Vincent, counting him as both a friend and confidant.

They'd grown apart a bit when she'd joined the Junior Legion and had less free time, but they'd never lost touch completely, and even now, she sent him messages when someone asked her to find a book, and he'd usually been successful.

So when she caught sight of him, bending over a ledger in the back of the shop, she purred. "Vincent! Do you have a few minutes?"

He jumped, clearly startled, then turned and stood, smiling. "Shanti! It's been too long - or should I call you Lady Dragonborn?"

"Divines, no - Shanti is fine!" His hair had gone grayer since she'd last seen him, and she could remember when his hair was a deep brown, barely starting to gray at the temples ... "How are you doing, my friend? Business going well?"

"I'm fine, but ... not particularly." Vincent sighed. "Old books have never sold particularly well, you know, except to collectors or specialized researchers like yourself. I get along well enough that I can't complain, though."

Shanti grinned. "Then I can hope you have a decent variety to begin stocking the historical section of the library in the mansion Jarl Balgruuf had built for me?"

"What? Certainly!" Vincent smiled. "You already have everything I've been able to find about dragons. What else are you going to want?"

"The earliest volumes you can find," Shanti replied. "I'd like to build up a library of primary sources wherever possible, or good secondaries when you can't find primaries."

Vincent frowned. "That could get expensive, you know. Primary sources are hard to find at best, and their owners - if they know what they are - can be reluctant to part with them, or even let the most reputable scholars study them."

"Where I want to make them available for study, and my adventuring is paying well enough ... hmm. You are an excellent negotiator, so do what you can when you find something, and let me know the price. If I can afford it, you will get a bonus, depending on how much I want the book."

Vincent laughed. "Fair enough. Now, I've gotten a number of titles since your last visit that might interest you. May I show you?"

"Certainly!" Shanti followed him into the stacks, purring and certain her coin purse - perhaps her account with the Solitude bank as well - would be emptier by the time she left.

An hour passed before she finally exited Vincent's book store, much to her team's delight, with a couple of new books.

"Sorry," She quickly said once she realized how long she had been inside. "I fear I got carried away a little bit when he showed me a signed first edition of _The Alduin/Akatosh Dichotomy_. I bought it, of course ... Brother Alexandre was wrong about Alduin being Akatosh, of course, but his reasoning does make a bit of sense.,"

"Don't worry, no shame in spending time with friends," Voranil said with a laugh before something caught his attention behind her. "Heads up, it seems we're finally getting Rodryn's answer."

Turning around, Shanti spotted a vibrant green-scaled argonian making a beeline toward their group.

"Dragonborn," The argonian Shanti could now see was clearly female, greeted her as she handed over a small leather scroll holder. "I am also to inform you that Rodryn would appreciate it if you and your team came along with the General. Should you not, he will not hold it against you."

"We will certainly go," Shanti said. "I assume he knows I now have a third member of my team, and S'Wynn will be with us. I will take this to General Tullius immediately."

"Good." With that, the Argonian left.

After dropping off her books at Proudspire Manor, Shanti and her people went up to Castle Dour, where they were taken to General Tullius' office, and she handed over the scroll. "Your reply from Rodryn, sir. I do know it is favorable, because the messenger said my team and I are welcome, as well."

Tullius smiled at that. "Good." He opened the scroll and read it, one eyebrow going up. "It seems he doesn't waste any time once he makes up his mind," he said, handing Shanti the small scroll.

"General Tullius," she read.

"My men will be expecting you, and two companions at your choosing, at Solitude's stables and ready to go by midday.

"-R"

The seal was a fox in profile, with a crown of fire.

"So we have until noon. We'll be there, of course. I'll be taking S'Jherek, as head of my bodyguard - though with you and your people along, I'm not worried about our safety; that's just regulations. For the second, though ... hmm. Yes. Rikke, I think. We'll meet you at the stables."


	31. Meeting with Rodryn

**Author's Note:** Please forgive me for missing last week, but Cyclone Sword and I had to put together a bridge chapter with more collaboration than usual, and given that we live an ocean and half a continent apart, that can take a lot longer than a solo chapter does. Still, I think it came out very well, and could lead to interesting developments later on.

* * *

Chapter 31 - Meeting with Rodryn

There was still more than an hour before they had to meet at the stables, so Shanti led her team to the Bards College. She had come up with an idea while she was in the bookstore, and wanted to speak to her mother, and perhaps the College's historian. She dropped her new books off at Proudspire Manor, then continued down the hill to the College.

She was well-known there, so when she arrived, the apprentice on door duty escorted her in. "How may the Bards College help you today, Lady Dragonborn?" he asked.

"I would like to speak to Bard Ko'Adanji, if she is available, or Historian Gemaine, if she is not."

"I'll check, my Lady," the apprentice said. "Let me show you to the sitting room while I do. And would you care for any refreshment?"

"I know the way, and thank you, but no. I am fine."

It was perhaps half an hour before Ko'Adanji arrived, and Shanti stood. After they'd hugged, she said, "Mums, does the College have anything like a collection of old adventurers' tales I could go through?"

Ko'Adanji laughed. "There's a large collection down in the archives, yes - several hundred years' worth of contributions, I think. More than I think you'd want to search for yourself, as busy as you are. But if you're after something specific, Giraud may be able to help."

Shanti made a face. "If there is that much, I will definitely need help! I am looking for Dragon Priest burial sites, which I am told are always close to Word Walls. We have what I am sure is a complete list of outdoor Walls, from simple traveler reports gathered into travel guides for Skyrim, but there are probably just as many in assorted barrows and Nordic ruins that casual travelers would not see."

Ko'Adanji nodded. "But adventurers might, and would probably report seeing one if they made it out of such a location. I will definitely pass that along, as one way for Giraud to teach his apprentices how to research primary sources."

Shanti hid a giggle. Primary sources, the type she was trying to get for her own library ... "Will they be available to other researchers, later?"

"Depending on what is found, very probably, with proper security for the manuscripts. But I doubt what the apprentices will be looking for will be called Word Walls, so are there any key words or terms they should be alert to?"

Shanti had to think about that for a moment, then she nodded. "A description of a semi-circular wall with a stylized dragon atop it, and engraving that looks like scratches on the inner surface. Word Wall, or memorial wall, perhaps, if the adventurer is educated enough. The Wall may be part of the structure itself, or perhaps free-standing."

"Anything else?"

Shanti frowned. "Probably not. It would be wonderful to know what Word the Wall holds, but that is highly unlikely, and not really necessary. With Mulventoor willing to help me with the Words, I wish to find the Walls mostly for the combat experience, and to reduce or eliminate the draugr or other menaces to nearby communities."

Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Yes, that sounds like you! And your father said the both of you would be laving on an official trip about noon, but he couldn't give me a return time. So ... just be careful, darling. We'll expect you when you get back."

"Thanks, Mums." Shanti licked her mother's cheek, then she and her team left for the stables.

They were passing the ramp to Castle Dour when she heard General Tullius calling them to wait, so they paused for the other three to catch up. The group was silent until they were outside the city gates, then Tullius said, "Remember what I told you about Ashcroft, Shanti. There's no denying he's a charismatic man, but he's also an extremely dangerous one. You can't let your guard down around him for a second."

"I understand, and you are not the only one who has cautioned me about him. I will be careful."

"Good. I'm a bit worried that he'll try to trade on your gratitude to get something he shouldn't have."

Shanti frowned. "Such as?"

"I really don't know. Just an uncomfortable feeling that he may try to take advantage of you in some way. Just trust your instincts, and if you think it's something he might misuse, refuse. Politely, if you can."

"Of course, sir."

The rest of the trip to the stables was silent, which allowed Shanti to think. Yes, Rodryn had made a very good first impression on her, even aside from the fact that he'd saved her life. But with two long-time friends telling her otherwise, she was forced to the conclusion that, however charming he was, the real Rodryn was far different. She would have to keep that firmly in mind.

On the one hand, she did feel like she owed him something - preferably something big - for saving her life. On the other, if he was indeed the kind of criminal both Gulum-Ei and General Tullius said, anything big he wanted might well be something she couldn't in good conscience give him. Divines, she wasn't even willing to do anything criminal in return for the stealth training she was getting from the Thieves Guild! And they were nowhere near as bad as the Dark Brotherhood she, Voranil, and Bjorn had destroyed. From what had been hinted at, it was possible Rodryn Ashcroft was worse than the Brotherhood, though she doubted it.

They were at the stables by the time she reached that point in her musings. They had only been waiting a few minutes before two Argonians rode up and dismounted. One was Zyraxis, the other the unnamed woman who had delivered Rodryn's scroll, but never been introduced to her. Shanti inclined her head to the woman as Zyraxis made arrangements for their horses to be cared for. "We are here as instructed. What next?"

"You follow us," the bright-green Argonian casually replied as she started walking, not bothering to check if her companion had finished talking to the stable-hand.

Shanti gave the bronze Argonian a brief look before turning and following the others. The way Zyraxis looked and behaved gave her chills, and if he wasn't going with them she certainly wasn't going to ask about him.

Joining the rest of the group, she and her team followed the Argonian to the far side of Solitude's docks, where a small Nord boat lay tied to the pier.

Jumping in effortlessly, the female Argonian gestured for them to board the vessel, which they did swiftly. The crew, however, didn't set sail until Zyraxis had joined them, much to Shanti's discomfort.

* * *

The boat eventually made its landing next to a fish hatchery behind and a bit below what looked like an old abandoned building. Once everyone had climbed out and waded ashore, their escort led them toward the manor, passing next to a hitching line where a single Imperial tended to over a dozen resting horses. As they climbed toward the building, Shanti checked her mental map. This had to be Windstad Manor, the estate Jarl Idgrod had given her on naming her Thane of Hjaalmarch. This certainly wasn't how she'd expected to visit it for the first time, that was for certain! And yes, it needed work, but from what she could tell, seemed structurally sound.

"It seems Rodryn brought a lot of men," Tullius muttered as the Argonians led them to the front of the house, where a male Nord and female Bosmer stood guard. "A _lot_ of men," he emphasized, seeing almost a dozen more horses in or close to the small stable near the main entrance.

When they neared the guards at the manor's front door, Zyraxis dismissed them with a short nod, the two other Argonians that had escorted the 'guests' now taking their place. "Enter," Zyraxis said as he pushed the front door open and gestured inside.

What Shanti and the rest went into appeared to be an entry hall, where two more guards were waiting. The Imperial in steel armor approached. "Weapons, please," he said while opening a small, flat, wooden case, revealing a dozen simple silver rings. "For those who know more than the basics of magic, please put on these magica-dampening rings. You will get your weapons back once the meeting is over," the steel-armored guard assured them. "If you do not wish to hand over your weapons, or will not wear the rings, you may wait outside."

Tullius, S'Jherek, and Rikke all scowled, but Shanti simply shrugged and removed her weapons belt, handing it over, then she put on one of the rings. Given the number of warriors Rodryn had brought, they were dependent on his good will anyway. Voranil and S'Wynn followed suit, and after giving her a dubious look, so did Bjorn, though he of course didn't bother with a ring.

Tullius and his people apparently felt that if she and hers were willing to disarm, they might as well follow suit, because they did so also, if more slowly.

Once that was done, they were led into a larger room, where Rodryn sat at the head of a long table, more of his people along the walls. Zyraxis moved to stand behind the Breton.

"General Tullius," Rodryn greeted, standing up as he made his way to them. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

"As it is to meet you, Ashcroft," the general replied as he shook Rodryn's outstretched hand.

"Please, have a seat," the Breton continued as he gestured toward the empty seats at the table. Then he turned to the others, greeting all of them individually until only Shanti was left. "Dras'kay, Khajiit."

It was the exact same greeting he used back at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun when she was still unaware of who he really was. "An fashali jer," she replied, just as she had then, earning a chuckle from the Breton as he gestured for her to take a seat.

"So, General," Rodryn started as he made his way towards his chair at the head of the table. "I've been told you wanted to meet with me to discuss the Thalmor and possible mutual benefit."

"Yes. Ulfric's rebellion may have ended, but as long as there are Thalmor in Skyrim it will never be safe nor stable. And a lot of people back in Cyrodiil fear the ... ah, elves ... might try something else to disrupt the peace ."

"So they tasked you with finding a solution that didn't directly involve the Empire, giving them the option to cut all ties with me in case something goes wrong," Rodryn added, smiling slightly as he leaned back in his chair, fingers intertwined as he carefully watched Tullius. "And of course if such a thing were to happen, you'd do anything, even helping the Thalmor if necessary, to avoid any backlash to the Empire. After all, we're just a bunch of criminals, aren't we? "

An uncomfortable silence ensued and, from the corner of her eye, Shanti saw both her father and Rikke fidgeting nervously in their chairs as they realized Rodryn seemed to be keenly aware of how little his and his men's lives were worth to the Empire. She suddenly felt uncomfortable herself. Surely they wouldn't betray the personal and Imperial ideals they themselves hat taught her?

"Yes, you are" Tullius eventually admitted, much to the surprise of everyone that shared his side of the table. "But you're also the only one in Skyrim who has enough influence and resources to pull it off." He was silent briefly, then continued. "Neither I nor my people will hand anyone over to the Thalmor without evidence we cannot plausibly ignore."

"Flattery, General, truly?" Rodryn asked, amused. "Let's say it worked and I agree, what will be in it for us?"

"If you accept, I've been authorized to offer you a hundred septims for every confirmed Thalmor kill."

"A hundred septims for every Thalmor we kill?" Rodryn repeated incredulously before frowning. "General, I believe you have us mistaken for the Brotherhood if it is gold you are offering in exchange for Thalmor blood."

"What will you accept, then, if not gold?"

"Oh, now that's a good question," Rodryn said as he pointed at Tullius with a smile. "You see, not long after the Dragonborn was officially announced by the Greybeards, I started hearing she had visited two different Holds on the same day at roughly the same time."

"There are a lot of Khajiits in Skyrim. One of them could have easily been from a caravan."

"Ah, but when the sightings start stacking up and you take into account her unusual coat and her dragonscale armor, it becomes very hard to mistake her for someone else," Rodryn quickly retorted. "Which leaves us with only one possible answer, which so happens to be the very same thing I want. And if you add some dragonscale armor to sweeten the deal, the Empire might just gain an ally today."

Tullius looked at Shanti, frowning. "You didn't mention this to me."

"Because I swore not to. And I have no idea how Master Ashcroft came to such a conclusion, since I was extremely careful to avoid observation." He must have an even larger organization than she'd imagined, if he had indeed worked it out the way he had said.

Shanti turned to Rodryn. "I am in debt to you, yes, but ... I have learned things that ... ah ... leave me wondering about your intentions. Since your desire for swift transportation makes me worry for Imperial security, aside from my oath to keep it to myself, I will not pass it along."

She sighed. "As for dragonscale armor, given what I have heard of your activities, no. Dragonscale is too impervious for me to give it to those of ... your rumored activities." She frowned. "Rodryn, I feel I owe you much ... but not at the cost of the Empire's security, which is what you are asking."

"All right," she heard him quietly mutter to himself and, despite him sounding disappointed, it wasn't as much as she would have expected him to be. Which she found odd considering how valuable both the teleportation spell and the armor were. Had he known she would refuse? If so, why had he asked?

"That's unfortunate, but I both understand and respect your decision to keep to your word, however strange and unlikely that may sound to all of you." He paused, then continued as he again showed he knew exactly what they were thinking. "So, General, I'm going to offer you another deal. In exchange for our help, the Emperor will give us his word that we will not be held responsible for any crime we have committed so far, nor any that we might commit until the Thalmor are dealt with. Along with that, the Empire will discreetly supply me with whatever I might need to defeat the Thalmor and offer a thousand gold as compensation for every man I lose."

"I cannot accept those terms right now. " Tullius said, frowning. "The Emperor will have to be informed of your demands before anything else can be discussed."

"Of course, General," Rodryn replied. "I'll send one of my men once you receive a reply."

That seemed to end the meeting, and the visitors had risen, turning toward the door to retrieve their weapons and leave, when Rodryn said quietly, "Dragonborn, may I have moment of your time?"

Shanti turned back to him as the others continued. She couldn't see any reason to deny him, so she nodded. "Certainly. What do you have in mind?"

"The general came here because he wanted to discuss something that would be beneficial for him and for me. I came here because I want to offer you my help." He placed something in the middle of the table. Leaning in to look at it, she saw it was a golden coin, not much bigger than a septim, with a profile of a fox's head with a crown above it stamped into the metal.

"I know you don't trust me Dragonborn," he continued before she had a chance to say anything, crossing his arms as he leaned them on the table. "But I'm going to offer you my help to fight Alduin, nonetheless." He pushed the coin towards her.

She studied the coin thoughtfully. It was interesting, and a bit troubling, that his operation was big enough that he issued his own coinage, and she wondered if Tullius knew about that. She tapped the coin. "This is very attractive, but what does it have to do with me? And while I am interested in any help I can get to defeat the World-Eater, I must say I have no idea what that could be."

She sighed, wondering if she should continue, and decided that if she were careful, it would probably harm nothing. "Rodryn, if I may still call you that - I do like you, even though two long-time friends say I should not. And I hope to be able to do you a service, some day, that will not violate the principles I must hold to in order to be able to live with myself."

Rodryn smiled. "I don't know how I could help against Alduin either, unfortunately. But the offer will remain standing and should you ever need help, know that all you have to do is show the coin to an Argonian called Nelix at the EETC in Solitude." He paused briefly, then changed the subject slightly. "Your sense of honor and duty to the Empire are admirable, Dragonborn. Were it not for the fact your allegiance lies with the Empire, I would offer you a position in my organization."

"And if I had had a more conventional Khajiit upbringing, and I did not have my other responsibilities to both the Empire and Taazokaan as a whole, I might give that serious consideration. Your organization seems to welcome non-humans."

"We do. Perhaps one day we'll find ourselves standing on the same side." Rodryn chuckled, offering a sincere smile as he rose from his seat. "Now go, your friends must be worried.

"Oh, and Dragonborn," he called out as she moved toward the door, causing her to turn. "The dragonscale? It looks good on you."

"Thank you, kind sir." Shanti smiled, then went to the entry hall to reclaim her weapons and return the anti-magic ring.

* * *

There was no real conversation on the trip back to Solitude, which gave Shanti plenty of time to think. She was acutely aware of Tullius' and Gulum-Ei's opinions of Rodryn, but Divines and Daedra take it, she couldn't help liking him, and after this conference, she was convinced he had a personal sense of honor she could respect and trust. It probably wasn't much like hers, but it seemed like - at the very least - if he gave his word, he would keep it. And unless he violated that, she would accept his word. And if she had had any say in it, she would recommend the Emperor accept his proposal, so long as treason was not included in the pardoned crimes.


	32. Speaking Without Silence

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Chapter 32 - Speaking Without Silence

Shanti was apprehensive as she followed Brynjolf into the Cistern for her second meeting with Mercer Frey. It felt like it had been weeks since Frey had sent her to Gulum-Ei, but it had actually been only a couple of days. And sure enough, Frey scowled when he saw her. "Well, Dragonborn? Your results, if any?"

Shanti kept her own voice deliberately calm. "Gulum-Ei was most cooperative, once he recognized me. He gave me the deed to Goldenglow Estates, since the buyer did not want it." She handed it over. "So your client has truly lost nothing."

"That's good," Frey said with a cold smile. "I don't suppose you were able to get him to tell you who the buyer was."

"He told me who he _thought_ she was,but stressed that he was unsure, since he had seen her only once, a quarter century previous. A woman named Karliah, a Dark Elf."

Frey looked briefly startled, then frowned. "No, it ... it can't be. I haven't heard that name in decades. This is grave news indeed. She's someone I hoped to never cross paths with again."

"Gulum-Ei said she killed the previous Guild Master, yes."

"Karliah destroyed everything this Guild stood for. She murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed the Guild. After we discovered what she'd done, we spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished."

Shanti wondered at that. Frey had been the main beneficiary of Karliah's murdering Gallus, while the Dunmer herself had fled, apparently gaining nothing ... something wasn't right here, as Gulum-Ei had said. "Why do you think she has returned, then? It would seem ... less than a wise thing for her to do, when she has remained at large for so many years."

Frey sighed. "Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her on every heist. We watched each other's backs. I know her techniques, her skills. If she kills me, there'll be no one left that could possibly catch her. If only we knew where she was..."

Shanti decided to lead him on, hoping to gain more information - Divines willing, enough to let her decide how to proceed. "Gulum-Ei said the only thing she told him when he asked where she would be going was rather cryptic: 'where the end began'."

"There's only one place that could be," Frey said, after a brief pause. "The place where she murdered Gallus... a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum. We have to go out there before she disappears again."

Shanti hid a frown. "You wish me to aid you?"

"Yes, you're going with me and together we're going to kill her. Prepare yourself and meet me at the ruins as soon as you can. We can't let her slip through our fingers."

Shanti nodded. "I will find out where this ruin is, and my team and I will meet you there."

"Give me your map, and I'll mark it for you. But just you, not your team. Karliah's a tricky woman, and more than two ... she'd probably go on the run again, and we'd never find her."

"All right ... I will meet you there. Is day after tomorrow suitable? I do have other responsibilities."

"Then that'll have to do. Snow Veil Sanctum, day after tomorrow."

* * *

At a team conference in their Ofan private quarters that evening, Shanti gave her team a full report on her meeting with Frey. "But I do not trust him," she finished. "It is not simply that he is Master of the Thieves Guild, either. It is that I feel he is hiding something vital about this Karliah ... and I am most reluctant to enter what sounds like a dangerous location with him, and without you."

"I don't like it either," Voranil said. "Maybe we could sneak in behind you, invisible? S'Wynn and me with spells, Bjorn with potions? Though those don't last long enough to do more than barely get us inside."

"Perhaps not invisibility," S'Wynn said quietly. "While that's a very useful spell - or potion - as you just pointed out, it's short-lived, as either. But some years ago, I had a need to infiltrate a ruin where I had to remain unseen and unheard for much longer than any invisibility spell or potion could accomplish, so ... you know the old saying about necessity being the mother of invention?"

All three of the others chuckled, and Bjorn asked, "So what did you come up with?"

"A variation on invisibility," S'Wynn replied. "Though I have yet to come up with a good name for it. You can still be seen and heard, but it makes others think you belong there, so you are in effect not noticeable. It uses far less magica than invisibility, and a powerful enough mage can cast it on more than one person. I haven't been able to craft it into a potion yet, though."

"How long would it take me to learn it, and can you cast it on yourself and Bjorn?" Voranil asked.

"Assuming you know Invisibility, no more than ten minutes, and yes, one other is not a problem."

"Good! I do." Voranil turned to Shanti, grinning. "So you go in openly, with Frey, and we follow you with S'Wynn's don't-notice-me spell."

"That sounds good," Shanti agreed. "But ... do nothing disabling to Karliah, if we see her. I do not trust Frey, and would prefer to hear her side of the story as well, if we happen to encounter her."

"Right," Voranil agreed. "I'm sure both S'Wynn and I have spells that can handle that."

* * *

"Just remember," Voranil cautioned as they were preparing to split up. We'll be as close behind you as we can stay and remain undetected, but we'll have to do it in stealth mode, and we won't be able to do any fighting and still avoid notice, so we'll only be able to intervene if it's Frey who's endangering you."

"I understand," Shanti said. They'd discussed this expedition in as much detail as they could the previous day, so she was fully aware of the spell's limitations. The four of them dismounted, handing their reins to the two Legion cavalry troopers who'd accompanied them for just that purpose, and Shanti took the lead as Voranil and S'Wynn cast their spells.

She found Mercer Frey waiting at an abandoned campsite, with a dead horse near the tent. He greeted her with, "Good, you're finally here. I've scouted the ruins and I'm certain Karliah is still inside."

"Did you actually see her?"

"No, but I found her horse, and prints in the snow leading in, but not out. Don't worry, I've taken care of the horse ... she won't be using it to escape. Let's get moving, I want to catch her inside while she's distracted. Take the lead."

Shanti nodded, and took the stairs down to the entrance - this was one of the dome-shaped, hollow-center barrows like Ustengrav, with the entrance below ground level. Unlike other such barrows she'd entered, though, the door to this one was locked. She frowned, turning to Frey and telling him that.

He shrugged and took her place, beginning to work at the lock, talking as he did. "They say that these ancient Nordic burial mounds are sometimes impenetrable. This one doesn't look too difficult."

After less than a minute, he chuckled. "Quite a simple one, really. I don't know what the fuss is about these locks. All it takes is a bit of know-how and a lot of skill."

Which he obviously had, Shanti thought as the door opened and he commented, "That did it. After you."

She took the lead again, entering cautiously. She found a dead draugr and several burial urns, which she checked out, finding nothing. Well, she certainly wasn't the first adventurer through here, so that was hardly surprising.

She wasn't too fond of someone she didn't trust being behind her, but on the other hand, if he were ahead of her, she couldn't use her Thu'um without hurting someone who was supposedly an ally. So it might be just as well ... and if he attacked her, Divines willing her team would be close enough to intervene if she couldn't save herself.

When they moved on to the next room, Frey told her, "Pull the chain over there, and watch out for the spikes. Looks like Karliah reset all of the traps."

Shanti swallowed her retort, that she'd investigated a number of barrows and was quite familiar with the standard traps. He was armed and a possible enemy behind her, after all. So all she said was, "She seems to prefer to avoid company, then." And she hoped he wasn't going to be one of those who liked to talk all the time ... she preferred silence going through a dungeon, so she could hear possible enemies approaching ... though a war cry or two once in combat wasn't objectionable - they'd already have been detected, after all.

They passed a fire trap safely, but Frey warned her again. "There's two more of them ahead."

"I see the signs," Shanti replied, making herself remain calm. Divines, a chatterer ... not what she needed on a barrow run!

And he wasn't even silent during fights. She'd gotten used to her team's concentration on business, so Frey's taunting and braggadocio were beyond annoying. Yes, he was an awesome bladesman, far better than she thought she'd ever be, but the way he talked down the high-level draugr they were running into, including Deathlords, made her wonder at his hubris. He was good, yes, and given his skill, she couldn't blame him in a way ... but it was tempting the Divines or even the Daedra to slap him down.

Still, she led him into a chamber full of high-level draugr, and was forced to retreat to heal bruises and a possibly-cracked rib, then regain her magica while he continued fighting and taunting his enemies. It was a humbling, and even humiliating, experience for her.

It did make her realize something, though. Surprisingly for a Breton, he seemed to depend entirely on his weapons and potions. She had never seen him use magic for anything, and briefly wondered if that were why he'd turned to crime, that he'd been ostracized for either disliking magic or not being able to use it. Though Tullius and Gulum-Ei had warned her about Rodryn, who was undoubtedly a highly skilled criminal mage. So his motive, at least, wasn't the one she suspected Frey of.

She sighed and re-entered the battle as soon as she'd healed herself and her magica had restored itself. This wasn't all that special a barrow, she'd decided early on. Just more difficult without her team beside her, and with Frey's running commentary, irritating as well. Why couldn't he just _shut up_! Didn't he realize his constant chatter could attract enemies? Or did he not care?

She hid another sigh when he said, "That door up ahead ... looks perfect for hiding an ambush. Be ready," as they approached a wooden double door - then she saw a Word Wall at the far end, and began fighting the newly-aroused draugr more enthusiastically than earlier, now that this little expedition actually had something in it that she could use!

When the battle was over and she'd healed herself, she headed straight for the Word Wall, but was stopped when Frey grabbed her shoulder. "What are you doing, woman?"

She slapped his hand, not caring that her claws were partly extended. "Keep your hands to yourself," she snarled. "I am Dragonborn, and that Word Wall may have part of a Shout I need."

She strode toward the Wall, hearing the chanting as she neared, and behind her, Frey growling, "You'll regret that, cat."

Perhaps she would, but she actually doubted it. She certainly didn't regret offending him, and wouldn't mind doing so again. What she got was a Word for the Disarm shout, well worth the effort she'd put forth getting this far.

The next set of doors took them into a Hall of Stories with the usual claw puzzle door at the end. She scoured the floor looking for a matching claw, then turned to Frey. "It seems we can go no further, since the key is unavailable."

Frey chuckled. "How quaint. You're right, though; without the matching claw, they're normally impossible to open. And since I'm certain Karliah already did away with it, we're on our own. Fortunately, these doors have a weakness if you know how to exploit it. Quite simple, really." He spent a few minutes working on the lock, then when the door opened, said, "Karliah's close. I'm certain of it. Now let's get moving."

Shanti glanced behind them, uselessly since she'd already determined that the don't-notice-me spell also applied to her, and entered the newly-opened chamber. How in Oblivion Frey had been able to open it without the claw-key, she couldn't imagine, but he'd done it. She looked around while moving toward a stairway down, and had almost reached it when she flinched as an arrow bounced off her armor, and a female voice above her cursed.

When she looked around, Frey was speaking to a Dunmer woman holding a bow, with the usual sneer in his voice. "Do you honestly think your arrow will reach me before my blade finds your heart?"

"Give me a reason to try," the woman replied.

For a change, when Frey replied, a trace of admiration had replaced his usual sneering tone. "You're a clever girl, Karliah. Buying Goldenglow Estate and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired."

"'To ensure an enemy's defeat, you must first undermine his allies.' It was the first lesson Gallus taught us,"she reminded him coldly.

"You always were a quick study."

"Not quick enough, otherwise Gallus would still be alive."

"Gallus had his wealth and he had you. All he had to do was look the other way."

Bitterness and jealousy both, Shanti decided. Had Gallus and Karliah been lovers? From Frey's tone, it seemed likely.

"Did you forget the Oath we took as Nightingales?" Karliah demanded. "Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?"

Mercer's verbal sneer returned. "Enough of this mindless banter! Come, Karliah. It's time for you and Gallus to become reunited!" He moved up the stairs toward her.

"I'm no fool, Mercer. Crossing blades with you would be a death sentence. But I can promise you that the next time we meet, it will be your undoing." Karliah's hand moved to her mouth, and she vanished. Invisibility potion, of course, Shanti thought.

Frey started back down the stairs toward Shanti, his sword still in his hand, and she frowned. What was she to do now? Frey had just essentially admitted one murder and attempted another. She probably ought to take him into custody, since she was a Legion officer and there were no Guards around ... but that would have the new Jarl of the Rift trying him, and the thought of Maven Black-Briar convicting and executing the Thieves Guildmaster was ludicrous. So it was up to her, and she didn't dare warn him, not after seeing him in action. She sent up a quick prayer that what she was about to do wouldn't be judged too harshly, and used Lightning Breath to kill him instantly.

Bjorn joined her. "Good job, boss - er, my Lady. But not really like you, so ... Jarl Black-Briar?"

Shanti nodded. "Though I am surprised you made the connection. I had not thought you interested in such things."

Bjorn laughed. "We 'little folk' have to be, in self-defense. So yeah, I know as well as you do she'd have found some excuse to let him loose, and you couldn't let that happen. But you don't normally attack anyone except an immediate threat - Oh. Never mind; he was. Divines, was he ever good with that blade! But you haven't searched him yet. Let's get that done before the others get back."

"We might as well, I suppose." She and Bjorn went to the body. She was a bit surprised at the amount of loot they found - she'd have expected him to stow most of that before going on a dungeon run - but the two of them were puzzling over an odd object they'd found when the others returned, accompanied by Karliah.

Shanti stood, still holding the odd object, and turned to the Dark Elf woman. "So you are Mercer Frey's nemesis."

"As he was Gallus' ... or at least I hoped to be." The woman grinned. "I didn't want to hurt you when I shot at you, you know. Or maybe you don't ... but I just wanted you out from between me and Mercer. I wanted him to face the Guild, knowing that I've found Gallus' diary. Though I haven't been able to translate it; he wrote it in a script I can't read."

"Show it to S'Wynn, then ... I have no idea how many languages he knows, but he is a scholar, and knows at least Dwemer."

Karliah nodded, digging a journal out of her back-pack and handing it to S'Wynn. "It looks sort of like Dwemer script to me, but I'm no scholar, so I hope you can do better than I could."

S'Wynn took the journal and leafed through it, then chuckled. "It's Falmer writing, very closely related to Dwemer. Give me a day, and I'll have you a translation. Two days, and a trip to Calcelmo of Markarth, if you want it exact."

"A rough translation should be adequate," Karliah said. "The Guild needs to be warned about Mercer as soon as we can reach Riften with the translation."

"A question first, if I may?" Shanti held up the odd object she and Bjorn had found. It looked like an oversized lockpick, with a very peculiar top. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

Karliah went as pale as a Dunmer could. "You shouldn't have seen that - it's sacred!"

S'Wynn's ears went forward. "Ah? Let me think ... " He paused, mumbling to himself. "No, that's a staff ... a sword ... mace ... " His voice became normal. "I can think of only one thing. Nocturnal's Skeleton Key. Am I right?"

Karliah shuddered. "I'm afraid so. Mercer stole it right around the time he murdered Gallus ... and I wasn't able to prevent the theft. So there aren't any living Nightingales left to protect the Twilight Sepulcher except me ... and I'm afraid to go back without candidates for her Oath. I don't suppose any of you would care to volunteer?"

When none of them replied, Karliah shrugged. "I thought not. So we return to the Guild, and I ask there. Meet me at the Bee and Barb when you're satisfied with your translation of Gallus' journal."

* * *

They had to go into the Flagon through the Ratway - Shanti found the tomb entrance she'd been allowed to use as a courtesy was sealed, so she simply sighed and used the alternate route. It wasn't really that bad, with the drawbridge down, but when they emerged, they were faced by Bryjnolf, Vex, and Delvin, weapons drawn, and Bryn snarled at Shanti. "What are you thinking, bringing that murderer back here?"

"She did not kill Gallus," Shati said calmly. "Mercer Frey did, and all of us heard him admit it. Also, she found Gallus' diary, and S'Wynn was able to make a rough translation of it."

"What? Let me see that!" Brynjolf grabbed at the notebook S'Wynn held out, and read through it, then said disbelievingly, "This can't be true. I've known Mercer too long ..."

"It's true, Brynjolf," Karliah said. "Every word. Mercer's been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses."

"There's only one way to find out if what the lass says is true," Brynjolf said. expression and voice both grim. "Delvin, I'll need you to use your key."

The entire group headed for the Cistern and across it, toward the Vault, and Delvin dug out his key, while saying, "Wait just a blessed moment, Bryn. What's in that book? What did it say?"

"It says Mercer's been stealing from our vault for years. Gallus was looking into it before he was murdered."

"How could he open up a vault that needs two keys? It's impossible. Could he pick his way in?" Vex protested, "That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy. There's no way it can be picked open."

"He didn't need to pick the lock," Karliah said.

"What is she on about?" Delvin asked, sounding confused.

As soon as they got to the vault,Brynjolf said, "Use your key, Delvin. We'll open it up and find out the truth."

Delvin did so, going to the heavy door, and reported, "I've used my key, but the vault's still locked up tighter than a drum. Now use yours."

Brynjolf took his turn, and the door opened. He looked around, then swore. "By the Eight! It's gone, everything's gone! Get in here, all of you!"

They all crowded in, and Delvin exclaimed, "The gold, the jewels... it's all gone!"

Vex sounded like she was snarling as she drew her dagger. "That son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill him!"

"Vex!" Brynjolf snapped. "Put it away ... right now. We can't afford to lose our heads ... we need to calm down and focus."

Delvin agreed. "Do what he says, Vex. This isn't helpin' right now."

Vex sheathed her blade. "Fine. We do it your way. For now."

"Delvin, Vex ... watch the Flagon," Brynjolf ordered. "If you see Mercer, come tell me right away."

When they left, Brynjolf turned to Shanti. "I hate to ask it of you, lass, but I need you to check out Mercer's house while I get the full story from Karliah."

"He has a house in Riften?" Shanti asked in surprise. "And ... you need not worry about Frey. He is dead, after admitting to Gallus' murder and attempting to kill Karliah. Summary execution by an Imperial officer after two capital crimes."

Brynjolf looked startled, then he nodded slowly. "Yeah, an' I guess the Guild owes you thanks for that. He owns - or owned - Riftweald Manor. Maven gave it to him when she kicked the previous owners out. He never stayed there, though ... has a caretaker named Vald, and a few inside guards. I've only been there with Mercer, so I can't tell you much about the layout. And you'll have to go in by the only second-story doorway. I do know the ground floor doors are all kept locked and barred."

Shanti frowned. "He had no way to get there directly from here, or the other way?"

That got a strained chuckle from Brynjolf. "I said _you'd_ have to use the second-floor doorway, not that he did. Yes, he had a direct route from the Flagon to his manor, but we never used it. No one but Mercer could - it has an un-pickable lock at this end. He told us, and Vex took it as a challenge, but even she couldn't crack it."

"Then I will not even try," Shanti decided. If her lockpicking instructor had failed, she most certainly would as well. "Are there any hints you can give to help us get in?"

"Maybe. Let's go back to the Flagon and talk about this little expedition."


	33. Investigating Riftweald

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Chapter 33 - Investigating Riftweald

Shanti and her team spent the night at the Bee and Barb, where she found herself amused by an Imperial spellsword named Marcurio. She wasn't sure how much of his flamboyant arrogance was real and how much simple salesmanship, but if she got an opening on her team - Divines forbid! - she'd probably give him a trial. If nothing else, he was amusing, and could tell a good tale.

Once they headed for their rooms, Shanti called S'Wynn aside, to hers. "I do not know invisibilty yet, but can you still teach me this 'don't-notice-me' spell?"

"Ah, a professional question, when this one was hoping for a personal one." S'Wynn gave an amused purr.

Shanti returned it, knowing from the third-person usage that he was teasing her. Again. "Perhaps after Alduin is defeated," she told him. Again. "You know I will have no time or interest in the personal until then."

He sobered. "I do, and I do respect you for it. So yes, I can, though it will take longer than if you did know invisibility. Is there any particular reason for wanting it now?"

"Yes. It is bad enough that I am known to be taking stealth training from the Thieves Guild, but most understand that they are the best in Skyrim at that, which is what I need. But I really should not be seen breaking into, or even entering, the Guildmaster's house if that can be avoided."

"I see. Yes, I can teach you both in an hour or so. And may I suggest an approach from above, rather than below?"

"You mean roof-running?" Shanti asked.

"Yes - it would be more fun, as well as being less detectable, since humans seldom look much above their shoulders without a special alert."

Shanti chuckled. "I have not gone roof-running for perhaps six or seven years," she admitted. "Not since I got caught on the roof of the Blue Palace by the King's Guards, and hauled home." She winced. "What Mums and Dad said to me then ... I will never forget it, though I would much prefer to." She hesitated. "I really like the idea, though I am not sure I remember how to do it, or still have the necessary reflexes."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," S'Wynn said. "But I doubt either Voranil or Bjorn have done it at all, which means leaving them behind."

"I suppose so, but given what the two of us know, and what Brynjolf told us, that should not be a problem."

S'Wynn gave her a flashing grin and said, "Let's go, then!"

* * *

They paused on the small landing in front of the second-story door to Riftweald Manor, and Shanti smiled at S'Wynn. "I am glad you suggested that. That is more fun than I have had since ... well, since I was forbidden roof-running those many years ago."

S'Wynn returned the smile. "I'm glad. Now, shall we go in and find out what Frey was up to?"

"I suppose we should." Shanti hid a sigh. She wasn't at all sure she liked the path her life was taking, but she didn't feel she had anyone she could really confide in. The Dragonborn was supposed to be a pillar of strength, not someone with normal weaknesses!

Then she felt Mulventoor stir. * _I am always here with you, Thuri. I can actually do nothing physical for you, but I will always be willing to counsel and ... if I understand the concept in your terms ... comfort you. Does anything specific trouble you?*_

 _*My killing of Mercer Frey, with no warning or chance to defend himself. It was necessary, I realize that, but - in spite of my knowledge that Jarl Maven would let him go, somehow - it felt wrong.*_

Shanti sensed a slow nod. * _A child's qualms, but understandable. As you mature, you will gain understanding, but I may assure you it was a proper decision for a thur. We dov are difficult to lead, and humans are only a bit less so. Harsh measures are necessary, from time to time.*_

 _*Thank you,_ * Shanti sent. * _I did what needed to be done, and I know it. I simply do not like it. But it is good to have your reassurance.*_

 _*Which I will give any time it is warranted,* Mulventoor assured her. *But now, back to business.*_

 _*Yes, you are correct_.* Shanti dug out a lockpick and began working on the door's lock, swearing softly to herself as she broke two picks in a row without making any progress. As she took out a third, she heard S'Wynn chuckle softly. She glanced at him, her ears forward in curiosity.

"This one wishes to ask why you are trying conventional lockpicks when you carry Nocturnal's Skeleton Key," he said with a very amused grin.

"I - what?"

"Carry the Skeleton Key," S'Wynn said, still amused. "How do you think Frey got through those Nordic doors, or the Thieves Guild vault?"

" - What? It can unlock otherwise impenetrable locks?"

"Indeed it can, and more. You should ask Karliah about that, if you are interested enough, since she was a Nightingale. When you use it, the most difficult lock is nothing more than a novice locksmith's first effort."

"But then - we could have saved ourselves this trip, and entered from the Guild! Why did you say nothing earlier?"

S'Wynn shrugged, his ears twitching in silent laughter. "Because you needed some relaxation and amusement. The roof-running provided both, and a few hired thugs will be no challenge for either of us. So open the door, and let's get what we came for."

Shanti started to object, then realized he was correct. She did need some time for relaxation, and she ought to make time for meditation, as well. She probably wouldn't be able to get in two hours a day now that she was active again, as she had during her recuperation from the frost atronach, but ... not only did she miss it, she was fairly sure the lack of it was slowing her progress with Voice, and that was a bad thing. She'd gotten too used to putting it off for things that had seemed more immediately important, but that would have to change.

She sighed and got back to work, this time using the Skeleton Key, and the lock opened easily. The first room they entered was cluttered with boxes and other storage, but no people, so they went to the interior door and she opened it silently, going into stealth mode. Shanti looked cautiously into the next room, seeing two men in bandit gear. She signaled to S'Wynn, then entered.

She approached the first bandit from behind. She wasn't tall enough to use the sentry take-out method Bjorn had taught her, so she used her own closest equivalent, jumping onto his back and slitting his throat. It was noisier, but with S'Wynn taking out the other one, she wasn't worried about that. This took care of two of the three guards, and they'd stay stealthed until they found and dealt with the third. In the meantime, they went through the house methodically, searching everything, since a master thief was very likely to have all sorts of hide-aways for his loot, but they found surprisingly little until they reached a pantry-like room and found a wardrobe with a false back.

Beyond that was a ladder to the cellar. This part, unlike the section they'd found earlier, was filthy, dust and cobwebs everywhere ... and traps. Shanti was very grateful for Bjorn's training on how to handle those, and they managed to get through unscathed until they found an area paved entirely with pressure plates that had flame nozzles on every one.

Shanti turned to S'Wynn. "Perhaps you should wait here. I can get past this one with either Whirlwind Sprint or Become Ethereal, but - "

"Oh, I think mage armor plus a strong ward will do nicely," S'Wynn said with a grin. "Lead on, my beauteous one."

Shanti was certain that was pure flattery, but she liked it anyway. "Very well. Wuld ... Na KEST!" she ran past the pressure plates before they had time to trigger, then watched S'Wynn walk through flames, grinning at her when he approached.

"Told you so," he said, sounding more amused than smug. "Other magic can sometimes do what your Shouts can, and just as effectively."

"Voranil has proven as much, also ... but the Shouts do not cost me magica. And even when the effects are similar, I prefer the Shouts."

S'Wynn nodded, his expression sobering. "Of course you would, Dovahkiin. Shall we continue?"

Down the hallway, they found a niche with a chest, and the first real treasure. A bit further on was a swinging-blade trap, and S'Wynn tapped her on the shoulder. "This one might be difficult for me. If you could get past and find a shut-off - ?"

"Of course." Shanti used Become Ethereal, strolling past the blades - all right, she thought, showing off a bit for the other Khajiit - and when she re-materialized, shut off the blades so he could pass.

"Thank you." He smiled at her. "Those blades were poisoned ... we are definitely going someplace Frey wishes no one else to be."

"Then let's keep on, and see why not." Around a corner and down some steps, they found a door with a lock-trap attached. Shanti used the Skeleton Key on it, then turned to grin at S'Wynn when it opened with no effort.

Inside what proved to be Frey's office, they found real treasure. A display case with an enchanted shortsword named Chillrend, accoding to the plaque on the case, with a matching sheath, and Shanti grabbed them gleefully. Bjorn had lost his favorite sword to a frost troll attack - this would make a wonderful gift for him!

A bust of the Gray Fox, Cyrodiil's Thieves Guildmaster two centuries ago ... possibly a souvenir today's Guild would appreciate. A bowl of gems. Plans for a raid on the Eyes of the Falmer? Those she handed to S'Wynn, because the location had a Dwemer name. And a note to M from R?

She read that, not liking the contents after what General Tullius had told her.

"M,

"Not certain how you managed to get your hands on that item we discussed, but I'm more than pleased. I thought you'd simply wait until it was being transported from Castle Dour to its final destination, but according to what I've heard, it vanished right from their armory. I wish I knew how you were able to slip by the guards, bypass the portcullis, unlock the armory door and break into that dwarven puzzle-locked chest... you need to teach me that little trick some time. I've left your cut in the usual drop spot and might have another job for you soon.

"R

* * *

R. Was that Rodryn? Shanti hoped not, and didn't want to speculate, so she turned her attention to the other item on the table, frowning when she didn't understand it. "S'Wynn? Do you know anything about the Irkngthand mentioned in those plans?"

"Not much other than what's in the plans, no. And I had never heard of the Eyes of the Falmer ... to discover that there's a statue of a Falmer from before their betrayal by the Dwemer, and thieves want to vandalize it by stealing its eyes ... no. That cannot be allowed to happen."

Not an unexpected reaction from a scholar, Shanti thought. "How can we stop it, though? We did stop Mercer Frey, for a different reason, but the Guild is going to want something fairly substantial in return. I heard one of them mention that what they could get for the Eyes could rebuild the Guild."

"I ... actually have my doubts about that," S'Wynn said thoughtfully. "If they really are gems, large enough to serve as eyes of a huge statue, they're most likely full of flaws. They'd be worthless except as curiosities, since I would imagine having them cut down to usable gemstone sizes, avoiding the flaws, would probably cost more than they'd get by selling those gems."

"Hmm." Shanti thought for a few moments, then nodded. "That goes along with what I've heard about large gems. And they might not even

* * *

gems. But how do we convince Brynjolf and the rest?"

"I'm not sure, just yet. But doesn't the Guild have a gem appraiser they trust, and who'd be honest with the Dragonborn right there?"

"Vex is an appraiser, yes, and since I killed Frey, she would probably be honest. But why are you asking?"

"Because I would be willing to pay the appraised price, or perhaps more, to preserve such a unique artifact intact. And I'm sure Calcelmo would be willing to contribute, if it's more than my personal resources can manage."

Shanti did a quick mental inventory of her own resources, and smiled. "I believe I could help, as well. While I am no scholar, I do believe history should be preserved."

S'Wynn grinned at her. "So the beauteous lady is wise as well. I begin to understand why Hermaeus Mora wished your services."

Shanti shuddered. "He - or perhaps 'it' would be more accurate - should know that will never happen. I worship the Divines, specifically Talos and Akatosh ... the Daedric Princes, with a few exceptions, revolt me."

"S'Wynn chuckled. "Let me guess. Azura and Meridia? They're usually fairly benign, to mortals."

"And Meridia works against undead, so she is worthy of praise. I also have no problems with Malacath. Nocturnal is the Prince of Luck for all, though she favors thieves, so I must return her Key, useful as it is."

"Wise of you," S'Wynn replied. "I would assume you find Molag Bal, Mehrunes Dagon, Mephala, Boethia, Namira, and Peryite ... ah ... not quite to your taste."

"Add Sheogorath the Mad, and you are correct. The rest ... " Shanti shrugged. "I would not seek them out, but I also do not find them particularly repugnant."

S'Wynn smiled. "And Jyggalag, the Prince of Order?"

Shanti frowned. "Him I have heard nothing of, so I cannot say. Though his title is promising."

S'Wynn chuckled. "He's not as well known as the rest, no. I assume it's because he doesn't want to be, and he's powerful enough that his will rules." He shrugged. "Not that I can read his mind, of course, so it's only a guess."

"I have no plans to get involved with any Daedric Princes," Shanti said. "What I told Hermaeus Mora applies to all of them."

S'Wynn chuckled. "Judging from history, that may not be up to you. The Divines love their creations, but rarely act openly. The Princes seem to think of mortals as a form of entertainment, and do a bit of meddling on occasion just to stir things up. Especially when a hero arises, like the Hero of Kvatch during the Oblivion Crisis. I don't think they're going to be content to leave the Last Dragonborn alone."

He paused, then chuckled again. "Come to that, you're going to be returning Nocturnal's Key, thus doing her a service. For your own reason, of course, but the fact remains."

"I dislike that she has a preference for thieves, but since all luck in Mundus depends on the Key being returned, I have little choice in the matter." She paused, frowning, as the inside of her skull felt like it was itching. "Ah, could you repeat that one Prince's name? There is something about it that gives me a very odd feeling."

"Jyggalag? It is an odd name, yes, even for a Daedric Prince, but why would it bother you?"

"I ... because for some reason, it is vaguely familiar. I get the impression of a dream ... something about an assembly of the Princes in a Hall of Order. Hermaeus Mora was there, though I did not know his name until he introduced himself in Septimus' hideaway, and had not even thought of the dream until you mentioned Prince Jyggalag."

"Interesting," S'Wynn said thoughtfully. "That sounds like it could have been an intervention, though a bit on the subtle side for a Daedric Prince. Theirs, unlike those of the Divines, are usually ... ah ... unmistakable. Can you remember more of this dream?"

Shanti concentrated, trying to remember. "Halls of Order. The King wore polished steel, though the light originally made it look silver and red. He was ... telling the rest that I could not be soul-claimed? I think he mentioned my soul might separate from my body at times, but could not be claimed." She shuddered. "I am not sure which sounds worse."

"Really? Most interesting." S'Wynn smiled thoughtfully. "It sounds to me like he may have given, or will give you, dragon-style immortality, with that comment about your soul separating temporarily from your body."

"But why?" Shanti asked, confused. "Real dovah are immortal, yes, but physically, I am vodov. Immortality is not something for Khajiit."

"I don't know about that," S'Wynn said thoughtfully. "You'll become their overlord when you defeat Alduin, as I understand it. An overlord who lives only a tiny fraction of her subjects' lifespan wouldn't be a very useful leader, I should think."

"I had ... not thought of it like that," Shanti said. "I must admit it is a good point. Restoring the cooperation as I wish to do will take years at least, I fear. So perhaps I should be grateful to him for making my dream possible, rather than resenting that he made such a decision for me."

"I imagine the Princes, like the Divines, prefer to let mortals exercise free will, but occasionally feel a need to take arbitrary action. I base this on the fact that you're free to take on or reject tasks for the other Princes, but that he saw fit to impose immortality upon you."

"I could wish he had not, but considering it may be the only way to avoid another dov/vodov war, I cannot truly complain. But please, do not mention it to anyone else. It might raise unrealistic expectations of my chances against Alduin."

"I understand, and agree; I will say nothing. But do you have any idea when you'll be ready for that?"

Shanti frowned. "Not specifically, but I think more quickly than I originally believed. Training and practice, plus getting all three words of Fire Breath, have me doing better against bandits and even lesser mages than I would have expected at this time. Perhaps I need to go against stronger opponents, to keep challenging myself. Though I must admit, it can be refreshing to go through a location without getting too badly injured."

"Then you might want to look at the stronger vampires the guards are reporting, sometimes even in daylight attacks. Or even Dragon Priest lairs, which are guarded by stronger draugr that you're accustomed to facing."

* _Mulventoor? Your opinion?_ * Shanti sent.

* _I would agree_ ,* her resident advisor sent. * _You are becoming a bit complacent, losing the sharpness of your edge. You need to return to challenging yourself. The vampires and a few Dragon Priests should ready you to face Miraak, and he will hone you to face Alduin_.* He sent a draconic laugh. * _Then, we all face the Thalmor together. Finish your current tasks, then we take on the greater_.*

"So be it, then. The Twilight Sepulcher, then look into the stronger vampires and a Dragon Priest or so."

"That sounds reasonable. Let's get back to the Flagon and report, then. After that, I could use a meal and some sleep."


	34. At the Sepulcher

.

Chapter 34 - At the Sepulcher

When they returned to the Bee and Barb, since it was too late to head for the Sepulcher, Shanti waited until she and her team were alone, then handed Chillrend and its sheath to Bjorn. "I think this would be a good replacement for that sword the frost troll cost you," she said with a smile.

Bjorn started to reach for it, then shook his head. "I can see it's enchanted, so I can't. Enlisted aren't allowed enchanted weapons or armor ... just officers."

"That is not a problem ... Lieutenant. General Tullius informed me, when I showed him my retirement papers, that I retained most of my active-duty prerogatives, including field promotions. I will ask him to confirm it, if you wish, next time we are in Solitude ... but I would suggest you find a set of scout-officer's armor."

Bjorn gaped at her, then his expression changed to a smile, and he took the sword. "Yes, Ma'm!"

"And appropriate," Voranil said. "Tullius is unlikely to overrule the Dragonborn, so - congratulations, Lieutenant."

* * *

Shanti and her team approached the Twilight Sepulcher cautiously. Karliah had given her the location with some relief, but told her she might have problems since she and her people weren't Nightingales ... but that possibly Nocturnal would make an exception for her, given her intention to return the Key.

She was able to enter, but her team was stopped at the entrance. It felt both odd and unsettling to enter without them, especially when she might well encounter a Daedric Prince somewhere during the course of this particular adventure.

The first thing she saw was a spectral figure in a spacious chamber, standing in front of a flight of stairs. She approached, hoping to find out more about what she was supposed to do here.

When she neared, she saw he was wearing the same sort of Nightingale armor Karliah favored.

He spoke before she could. "I don't recognize you, and you're not one of us. Who are you?"

"I am Shanti of Solitude, called the Dragonborn. And you?"

"The last of the sane Nightingale Sentinels, I'm afraid. I've defended the Sepulcher alone for what seems like an eternity."

"The last? What happened to the rest?"

"We were betrayed by one of our own kind, and with their contact with Evergloam severed, they went insane. In fact, I'm to blame for what's happened here, and remain myself only because my death came after the connection was severed.."

"How are you to blame?"

"I was blinded. Blinded by dark treachery masquerading as friendship. Perhaps if I had been more vigilant, then Mercer Frey wouldn't have lured me to my fate and stolen the Skeleton Key."

"Then ... you must be Gallus!" Shanti exclaimed in astonishment.

"I haven't heard that name in a long time," the ghost said softly. "How do you know of me?"

Shanti smiled. "Karliah told me, and asked me to come here and return the Skeleton Key."

"The Key!" the ghost exclaimed. "You have the Skeleton Key! I never thought I'd see it again. And Mercer Frey?"

"Dead. I executed him for your murder, and the attempted murder of Karliah."

The spirit seemed to brighten immediately. "Karliah... she's still alive? I feared the same fate had befallen her, ending up a victim of Mercer's betrayal. But ... 'executed', not simply 'killed'?"

"Yes ... it was perfectly legal, as I am an Imperial officer - unfortunately retired - who heard the needed evidence, with other witnesses present. It was my duty."

Gallus laughed. "Then I apologize for any nasty things I may have thought about Imperial officers in the past, Shanti of Solitude! Though I find it even more surprising that you'd be here attempting to return the Key."

Shanti shrugged. "It seems Nocturnal's luck may favor the Thieves Guild, but she bestows it on - or withholds it from - others as well. So this is for Mundus as a whole, not a Guild I do not even belong to."

"Well enough." The specter grinned. "Our Lady seldom questions motives, though She does demand results, at least from those of us who've transacted the Oath with Her. Which it seems obvious you haven't."

"Of course not. But is there anything you can tell me about how I am to go about returning the Key? All Karliah was able to tell me was that the route for a non-Nightingale is called the Pilgrim's Path."

"I'm afraid not," Gallus said regretfully. "I've never traversed it ... it was never intended for Nightingales. So I have no personal knowledge of it." He paused. "The only possible help I've come across are the remains of some poor fellow who was trying to follow that path. Perhaps his journal can help?" He gestured to his right. "The body is over there."

"Thank you." Shanti followed the pointing finger to a skeleton, where she found the journal of a man named Nystrom, from the journal's annotations. The man had been a treasure-hunter, posing as one of Nocturnal's acolytes, and had obtained several clues to the Path from his mentor.

"Shadows of their former selves, sentinels of the dark. They wander ever more and deal swift death to defilers."

That sounded simple enough, given what Gallus had told her. The no-longer-sane Sentinel spirits would of course be hostile to a non-Nightingale - and possibly to a Nightingale as well, all things considered. Well, she had fought ghosts before. They were more difficult than skeletons or the average draugr, and a couple of her Shouts would be useless, but ghosts were as vulnerable to dragonfire as frost trolls were, so she anticipated no particular difficulty as long as she didn't have to face too many at once. Or perhaps she could sneak past them, and avoid fighting them at all.

She went into stealth mode, successfully evading detection, and made her way along a corridor to find herself in a large room with several staired platforms. It was mostly dark, but there were several bright areas, and she frowned as she considered the second clue.

"Above all they stand, vigilance everlasting. Beholden to the murk yet contentious of the glow."

That wasn't as clear as the first, but if the platforms were what stood above all, it did make some sense. As for the rest ... yes, she fully intended to remain vigilant, and considering that Nocturnal was the Prince of Darkness, the rest probably meant she should stick to the shadowed areas. If she'd been human or mer, she'd have had to risk a torch or light spell, but even the shadows were bright enough for a Khajiit's vision.

That turned out to be fortunate, since she was able to see and trigger trip wires so the darts they released missed her. She made it most of the way through the room by successfully remaining in the shadows, but the final stretch ... well, she couldn't see any way to completely avoid the light. For the first time, she thought it was a good thing her team had been kept out. Voranil and S'Wynn might be able to protect themselves with wards, but Bjorn might easily be killed during the dash.

She considered her own alternatives, deciding on Whirlwind Sprint. She used it, feeling a flash of pain as she passed through the light, then she was at a door, and she reviewed the third clue.

"Offer what She desires most, but reject the material. For her greatest want is that which cannot be seen, felt or carried."

The chamber she entered was smaller than the one she'd just left, and had a statue of Nocturnal flanked by lit braziers. A wooden plate with gems and coins - offerings? - was at the statue's feet, along with the body of an apparent bandit. Given the previous room, darkness was what Nocturnal desired most, and chains behind the braziers would probably extinguish them, but ... what of the offerings and the bandit? Nocturnal being the Patron of Thieves, she could argue that looting those would be expected, but she decided to stay with her own preferences, and leave as much as possible in a temple alone. Temples, even those for Daedric Princes, were simply not to be desecrated.

So all she did was pull the chains, extinguishing the braziers, which opened a passageway behind the statue. The corresponding clue sounded like she should avoid the straightforward path.

"Direct and yet indirect. The path to salvation a route of cunning with fortune betraying the foolish."

That was an obvious warning against simply going straight ahead ... but she decided she'd rather face straight dangers, including the swinging-blade trap she could see ahead of her, than try to duck around and perhaps face even greater dangers. The blades were easy enough to get past with Become Ethereal, then she disarmed a trapped door, and kept going.

The clue for the next chamber was obscure until she found herself at a pit, with no other exits available.

"The journey is complete, the Empress's embrace awaits the fallen. Hesitate not if you wish to gift her your eternal devotion."

Well, she had no desire to gift Nocturnal with anything other than the Skeleton Key - certainly not eternal devotion - but it seemed the only way forward, so she jumped into the pit and ... waited.

It probably wasn't as long as it seemed, but a sudden falling sensation gave way to a different "floor" underneath her, this one with a cavity in the center that seemed to be molded to fit the Skeleton Key she held, so she bent down to insert it.

An instant later, she was standing, facing a being who had to be Nocturnal, and she bowed politely.

Nocturnal smiled. "You have done me a great service, Dragonborn, one I could not ask of you. Is there anything I may do for you in return?"

"Ah ... perhaps forgive Karliah for her inability to prevent Mercer Frey's theft?" Shanti wasn't sure the Princes even knew the concept of forgiveness, but it was worth asking.

"As you wish, Dragonborn. It is a small enough favor, and something I would have done anyway, as I need her services as a Nightingale." The Prince smiled. "So, as that is not a thing for you personally, I offer you one of my Agencies, that of Subterfuge, Strife, or Stealth. But unlike a Nightingale, you may choose only once, rather than once daily. And you will retain that choice permanently, so choose carefully."

That is simple, then," Shanti said. "I dislike subterfuge, and minimize strife as much as I am able. But I will happily accept the Agency of Stealth."

Nocturnal chuckled. "So be it, Dragonborn. I grant you the Shadowcloak of Nocturnal, to use as often as you like." She touched Shanti's forehead briefly. "There you go. You are familiar with the use of intent, from your Shouts, so simply intending to use the Shadowcloak will invoke it."

Shanti bowed. "I thank you, Prince Nocturnal."

"As I thank you, for the return of my Key. And to reassure you that I keep my word ... " Nocturnal gestured, and Karliah appeared, looking briefly startled.

Before Karliah could say anything, Nocturnal gave her a stern look. "Karliah, I am disappointed in you. Not that you were unable to prevent Mercer's theft, since you didn't know he planned it, but that you saw fit to ask a stranger, with no obligations to me, to do so rather than carrying out your own obligation. That didn't - quite - violate your Oath, since the key was returned by your action, though indirectly. You remain a Nightingale, in part because of her request that I forgive you, in part because you have been for the most part a good one, and I wish you to choose two others to rebuild the Trinity."

Then she turned to Shanti. "While I do appreciate your assistance, and Gallus will watch over you from Evergloam, I do need a private discussion with him and Karliah. I will transport you back to your team. Be well, Dragonborn, and may you defeat Alduin for the sake of Mundus, and perhaps the entire Aurbis."

With that, Shanti was back outside the Twilight Sanctuary with her team. As she blinked in the sudden light, Voranil asked, "Are you all right? What happened?"

"I am fine," she assured them. "I was able to sneak past the ghost Nightingales who would have tried to kill me. After that, it was evading traps and solving puzzles, for the most part. Nocturnal was pleased that I returned her Key, and granted me her Shadowcloak and the guardianship of a former Nightingale from the Evergloam."

"Really?" S'Wynn sounded impressed. "The Princes aren't exactly known for benevolence, with a couple of exceptions, so I'd say she was probably _very_ pleased with you. Though you might want to ask Karliah about it the next time you see her, I'm guessing the guardianship of a spectral Nightingale will give you better luck than the average person."

Shanti chuckled. "Given what we manage to get ourselves into, that is a gift I would certainly not refuse!"


	35. Ironbound Barrow

.

Chapter 35 - Ironbound Barrow

Shanti wanted as many full Shouts as possible before she began going up against the more difficult draugr and Dragon Priests, and she only had one location, at the moment - Ironbind Barrow, which she found out was above Nightgate inn, in the Pale. She'd never been there, so they had to ride, but at least the inn would be a good place to leave the horses while they found and explored the barrow.

It was early evening when they arrived, so they left their horses at the stable, then went inside for drinks and a snack before supper. The drinks were nothing special, but Shanti purred when she saw the menu of snacks, and pointed one out to S'Wynn. "You ought to try the sweet-and-sour venison jerky. Darius makes that, and his is delicious ... though in a remote inn like this, it is unlikely to be as good. It should still be worth trying, though. I am going to."

"Then I will, as well."

Once all their meal orders were placed and the appetizer delivered, Shanti tried her jerky, and smiled happily. "It is excellent! A bit heavy on the moon sugar for my taste, so probably somewhat lacking for yours, but this far out in the country, it is a wonder something so suited for Khajiit is available at all."

S'Wynn tasted his, and nodded. "Excellent indeed. I would probably add half as much again moon sugar, perhaps more, but this is quite palatable, and a very enjoyable texture. I hope the cook here is well paid. Just from this sample, I'd guess that if this inn were closer to a major town, it would be crowded rather than almost deserted."

* * *

After breakfast, and getting directions from the innkeeper, Shanti and her team headed up the mountain. They were surprised to find a couple of adventurers camped near the entrance to the barrow, discussing what they should do.

The Redguard woman sounded impatient. "How can you just sit here and wait? We should be in there!"

"We must gather our strength," the Argonian male replied. "Who knows what's inside?"

"Treasure, that's what! Get off your scaly rump and let's go."

"Hush, Salma. We aren't alone."

They hadn't been trying to sneak, so Shanti wasn't surprised they'd been heard.

Shanti and her team exchanged introductions with the two. They were hunting for treasure - hardly surprising for adventurers - but they were apprehensive about any inhabitants.

"We could accompany you," Shanti offered. "We will be looking for treasure as well, but one that only I can profit from directly; the Greybeards inform me that there is a Word Wall inside."

"Huh ... well, I suppose there'd be enough of the conventional stuff for everyone," Salma said grudgingly. "Come along if you want. It certainly can't hurt to have the Dragonborn and team along."

"Thank you."

Then Shanti laughed as the two earlier arrivals sprinted for the entrance. "It seems they do not truly believe what she just said, that there is enough for all!"

Bjorn laughed. "I'd say not, but if they want to run ahead and take the brunt of the attacks, that's fine with me. Though since they seemed worried about those same attacks ... it's got to be the money."

"I am sure there will be foes left for us," Shanti said drily. "Word Walls are always a challenge to reach."

"We know," Voranil said, just as drily. "So we might as well get going."

They found several dead frostbite spiders in the first chamber, and only dead foes until they caught up to the two, in a room with a large staircase, standing in front of a gate they obviously had been unable to unlock. Shanti headed for the gate while her team spread out to check for possible methods other than lockpicking.

It didn't take her long to realize there would have to be, since the gate itself had no trace of a lock, so not even Nocturnal's Skeleton Key could have picked it. Possibly opened it some other way, going by Karliah's admittedly-incomplete descriptions of its abilities. Since she no longer had it, though, that was purely academic speculation.

It didn't take long before Bjorn reported. "There's a twist-handle over here, probably what we need. Get ready, I'm about to use it."

"Go ahead," Shanti called. "We are prepared."

When the gate opened, Salma and Beem-Ja ran ahead again, and Shanti sighed. "I wish they would stop doing that. It robs me of the use of my Shouts, as they should know."

Voranil laughed. "I'd guess they aren't even thinking of that. They're awfully eager for that treasure, after all. At least they're saving us a lot of work."

"That is true." Again, they followed the pair, this time until they came to a broad corridor leading to a pedestal holding a Dwarven helmet with some kind of enchantment, and a gate beyond that. The pedestal had holes in the floor all around it, which Shanti had learned long ago meant it was a trap, but there was also a pull-chain above and behind the pedestal. She glanced at Bjorn, pointing at that, and he nodded.

Before she could move toward it, though, S'Wynn moved up beside her. "Be careful of the Argonian," he said softly. I ... can't quite pinpoint it, but something about him is not quite right."

"I will," Shanti promised. Then she pulled the chain, the gate dropped, and they continued to an iron door, where Beem-Ja poised, grinning. "This is it. We've found Gathrik's tomb."

Shanti had no idea who Gathrik was, but there was a gloating tone to Beem-Ja's voice that worried her, and she glanced at S'Wynn, who was frowning, and motioned to her to get behind him.

Well, he knew it would prevent her use of Shouts, but she trusted him, so she obeyed. This Gathrik must be pretty powerful, or S'Wynn wouldn't ask her to step back. And it became confusing almost immediately. She was used to being in the front lines, where she could see what was going on, though it could be confusing even there, but ... this was ridiculous. Atronachs and spells all around her, enough directed at her that she had to keep casting healing spells despite how little actually got though her armor ... it was a real relief when things slowed down and she could spare the time to catch her breath and look around.

"Voranil? Bjorn? S'Wynn?" she called. "Are you all right?"

"A bit winded, but otherwise fine," Voranil reassured her. "Gathrick's completely dead now, but unfortunately, so are our two companions."

"Not so unfortunate in the case of Beem-Ja," S'Wynn said. "He made a comment about gaining Gathrik's power, and started to reanimate him when he went down."

"I didn't notice that," Bjorn said. "I gather you blasted him when you saw that?"

"Of course. Gathrick was bad enough the first time that I wasn't about to risk Beem-Ja bringing him back."

Shanti nodded. "That is just as well, since a necromancer trying to gain another sorcerer's power requires a blood sacrifice."

"That, too," S'Wynn said with a purr. "But that threat no longer exists, so shall we check for treasure? Your Word Wall is on the far side of Gathrik's throne."

The rest agreed, finding a chest, then Shanti got the second word of Become Ethereal, and purred. "This is good. Only one more, and I will have the Shout at full power."

"Does adding Words really make that much difference?" Bjorn asked, then laughed at himself. "Sorry, stupid question. I, of all people, know the difference between one Word and three - at least on frost trolls!"

Shanti gave an amused purr. "All Shouts are like that ... and I believe there are a few which will work at all only if you have the full three Words."

They continued exploring, but aside from a few potions, a shield, and an enchanted battle-axe, they had found everything earlier, so when S'Wynn found a shortcut out, they left.

* * *

When they got back to Nightgate Inn, they found a courier waiting, and he handed Shanti a letter. "From Calcelmo of Markarth, Dragonborn. He was in a hurry to find you, so it may be important."

"Ah, thank you. If you have the time, eat and rest ... the food here is excellent. I will pay, of course."

The courier grinned. "Thanks, Lady Dragonborn. You were a bit hard to find, so yeah, I could use some food and rest."

An Orc was approaching from the fishing dock on the small lake below the inn, and smiled at Shanti. "I'm the cook here, my Lady - I'm Balagog gro-Nolob. I live here, and that's one of the ways I pay my keep. So what would the Dragonborn like for supper? I have redfin, spadetail, and even a slaughterfish - the latter a tribute to my fishing skills, in this lake!"

Shanti could believe that; slaughterfish usually preferred larger lakes. "A slaughterfish chowder would be nice ... I have not had one since my last visit to my parents' home. My father's housecarl makes a wonderful one, though he can rarely get truly fresh slaughterfish."

"Slaughterfish chowder it shall be, then." The Orc disappeared into the kitchen with his catch.

It would be some time before the chowder would be ready, so Shanti opened and read Calcelmo's letter. "Hmm, this is fascinating. It seems he was going through some old research notes and happened across a fragment he had translated some time ago, but had thought was nonsense. He believes now, however, that it might be a prophecy instead. He would like S'Wynn's and my opinion on it."

"Well, we don't have anything pressing," Voranil said. "Are there any known Word Walls in that area that we haven't yet been to?"

Bjorn consulted the notebook he always carried these days. "Yes," he said when he found the relevant page. "It's at Dragontooth Crater, though it's not really very close to Markarth."

Shanti frowned, then shrugged. "I suppose I would have to go to that one eventually, and I suppose I should find more teleport points in the Reach anyway."

* _Why?*_ Mulventoor asked curiously. * _Odahviing will fly you to Skuldafn, and when you return victorious from Sovngarde, any dovah will be happy to fly you to any location in Taazokaan. It is not quite as fast as teleporting, true, but once you have seen Nirn from the air, I think you will prefer it.*_

 _*Quite possibly_ ,* Shanti sent with amusement. * _But backup is always a good idea, and my memory is good enough for quite a few more locations.*_

 _*True for mortals,_ * Mulventoor agreed. * _But since the moment you learned Dragonrend, that does not apply to you.*_

 _*What?_ * Yes, S'Wynn had thought it likely that Jyggalag would give her dovah-style immortality, but ... immediately after learning Dragonrend?

* _Yes ... the change was easy for me to detect. You are immortal, as befits a proper dovah, and I am confident you will lead us well_.*

Shanti sent a smile. * _Thank you, fahdoni. I will do my best. And please, try to stay awake? I value your advice.*_

 _*So long as you feel that way, Thuri, I should have no problem doing so. But the Orsimer wishes your attention to food, I believe_.*

Shanti blinked, then looked up to see Balagog standing beside her holding a bowl, which he placed in front of her. She inhaled the steam, and sighed in pleasure. "It smells delicious, but I fear it would scald my tongue at this temperature."

The Orc chuckled. "It could stand about another hour and a quarter of slow simmering, but your man Bjorn's stomach was giving indications of hunger. It should still be satisfactory, though."

"I have no doubt of that ... it smells almost exactly like what Darius makes. But it must cool down a bit before I can be sure."

"Darius?" Balagog smiled. "I had a colleague by that name once. He went off to fight in the Great War ... and now you mention a Darius as your father's housecarl. May I ask your father's name?"

"Of course!" Shanti returned the smile. "He is S'Jherek Bushy-Tail, head of General Tullius' bodyguard. So Darius has a very honorable position, and the General himself dines with my parents regularly. I think if Darius were not a housecarl, the General might try to lure him away."

"I'm pleased to hear Darius has done so well for himself. Remember me to him next time you see him, would you?" He paused, frowning. "Something just occurred to me. Have you yet been named Bloodkin?"

"Certainly I will, and to the best of my knowledge, no." Shanti sniffed at her chowder, decided it might be cool enough around the edges to at least taste, and did so. She savored the flavor, purring in pleasure. "It is wonderful, and tastes like the same recipe. Colleagues, indeed!"

"Then I'll send word to the Strongholds ... the Dragonborn certainly deserves that recognition."

"I thank you." Shanti took another careful spoonful, purring again. "And should you ever wish another position, simply send me a letter at OfanseBalgruuf in Whiterun. The White River fishing is excellent, and I can assure you your privacy will be respected."

The Orc looked at her in surprise, then grinned. "I will take that under consideration, Lady Dragonborn. I do value my privacy, but a city, with its greater selection of foodstuffs and spices, does have its temptations. Let me think on it."

"Certainly. Even if Darius has found me a possible candidate, as long as I have not already hired another chef, the job will be yours."


	36. Prophecy

.

Chapter 36 - Prophecy

They spent the night at home in Whiterun, then Shanti and her team headed for Markarth, eager to talk to Calcelmo. Almost as soon as they crossed the Reach border, an increased Imperial presence was obvious; within ten minutes, they saw an Imperial patrol, its leader waving them to a halt. "Your business - Oh, sorry, Dragonborn. How can we help you?"

"If you know travel conditions between here and Markarth, that would be nice," Shanti said.

The sergeant grinned. "Nothing you need to worry about. The Forsworn haven't been much of a problem since we took out their base near the Karthspire. A few here and there, of course, but they shouldn't give the four of you any problem."

Shanti smiled. "Thank you, Sergeant. It's good to see the Legions here in strength ... You are Tenth, if I am reading your insigne correctly."

"Yes, ma'am, and glad to be back in action!" The sergeant smiled. "Garrison duty's safer, but it's boring as Oblivion. Takes a bit of danger to get a man's blood going, and we have that here. Have yourself a pleasant trip, my Lady."

"Thank you. I expect no problems, but if you see a dragon, or dragons, following me, take no action; they are my allies."

"Yes, ma'am - we were briefed. Odahviing and ... uh ... Britgrahreg? One red, one white and gray?"

"Correct. And I would appreciate it if you not attack any dragon, in fact, unless it is necessary. I have two allies who will not attack, so it is entirely possible I can find others."

The sergeant looked confused, but nodded. "If you say so, my Lady. I'll pass that along to my officers, if you'd like."

"Please do ... I should tell General Tullius as well, next time I am in Solitude."

"Yes, ma'am. Well, have a good trip, and ... it was an honor to speak to you."

* * *

They were about halfway to Markarth when they heard a dragon roar, and Shanti saw one breathing flame at something on the ground. She swore silently, urging Golden Rainbow toward the battle - spells answered the dovah's flames. Someone was under attack, and that sort of thing she did have to stop.

When they arrived, though, the dovah was waiting on the ground, cleaning his claws as he watched them approach. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin," he said politely. "Zu'u Nosnumul." Then he switched to Common. "But Odahviing says we must use this speech around any vodov. I saw some of Miraak's slaves setting up an ambush, and decided to eliminate them."

"I thank you for that," Shanti said. "I am pleased to meet you peacefully, Nosnumul, though in surprises me that one not allied would do so."

"Then be prepared for more surprises, Dovahkiin," Nosnumul said. "Odahviing is impressed with the strength and precision of your Thu'um, and most dovah are not suicidal. I offer conditional alliance as he did, and will not harm vodov or their property unless they attempt to harm me. Is this acceptable?"

Shanti nodded, astonished. "Most acceptable," she managed to say. Three allies, before she'd even faced Alduin for more than what had probably been nothing but a sparring bout? That was wonderful, and a good omen. "And I thank you for killing the cultists. They are ... most annoying."

"Those, any dovah will slay," Nosnumul snarled. "Any who serve the Traitor are, like your outlaws, to be slain on sight."

"You call Miraak the Traitor?" Shanti asked curiously. "He was well before my time, so may I ask why?"

The dragon snorted a laugh. "That is a very long tale indeed, when it is properly told, and you seem to be on your way somewhere. Perhaps you would prefer a summary version?"

Shanti purred. "We are, and I would."

"Very well. To begin, when we ruled and mortals thought of us as gods, we had what were called Dragon Priests, the most powerful and favored of whom were given masks, and took the names of those masks for themselves."

"We are with you so far," Shanti said. "I am to start searching those out now, since things like bandits and at least lower-skilled necromancers no longer challenge me."

"Yes? Well, were I you, I would save Miraak or Vahlok for last. Those we call Traitor and Guardian were the strongest of a very powerful group, enough so that their final battle split Solstheim from the mainland of Skyrim."

Shanti winced. "Really? That is powerful indeed ... I shall take your advice, with thanks. But the story?"

"Yes. Miraak served us faithfully for some time, growing in power and influence, but then ... he changed. We were not aware of the reason at first, but then he took control of Solstheim - part of the mainland still, at the time - and took three other Dragon Priests with him. That was the beginning of his treason, but hardly its end.

"He contacted - or was contacted by, we are unsure - Hermaeus Mora, who taught him a Shout that could enslave dovah, and he used it against us. Some he forced to carry him, a thing we did willingly for our better Priests, but that was intolerable. Others, he simply brought into range so he could kill them, and absorb their souls."

Nosnumul sighed. "At that point, Vahlok told us what was going on. How he found out, I do not know, but he did, and we were grateful. We told him that if he could stop Miraak, he would be given rulership of Solstheim, and be greatly honored by the dov. He traveled to Solstheim and challenged Miraak.

"The battle raged for days, until the split from the mainland came, and Vahlok was preparing his final decisive blow, when Herma-Mora appeared and snatched Miraak into his realm of Apocrypha. I fear you will have to follow him into Apocrypha to face him."

"If that is necessary, I will do so," Shanti assured him. "Assuming I am able to do so, of course ... I doubt Hermaeus Mora would allow me into his realm to combat his champion, when I have already refused to replace Miraak."

"We will all see when the time comes, I am sure - and the Daedra could surprise us. They seem to enjoy that. But I see mortals approaching. Call me if you need me, Dovahkiin."

"And the same for you, of course, though I may not be able to respond quickly."

"Simple agreement will do for now, Youngest Sister." Nosnumul took wing, and was quickly out of sight.

* * *

They continued to Markarth, leaving their horses in the stable as usual, then entered the city and went up the stairs toward Understone Keep. Shanti thought it wise to at least meet Jarl Igmund, so they went all the way up, to her surprise seeing several Legionnaires with black-on-red CI brassards. They were obviously busy, so she didn't interrupt, but she couldn't help wondering what the Legion's Crime Investigators were doing in an Imperial city with its own Guard force - that didn't happen often.

Inside the Keep, she passed a rubble -strewn path before entering the main part of the palace, and was greeted by the guards, who waved her on. She passed a man grumbling something about "Silverbloods will he heard," and continued on up the stairs, to where a man in noble's clothing was lounging in a throne. Jarl Igmund, no doubt.

She introduced herself and her team, then asked, "Why the Legion Crime Investigators? Surely your City Guard can handle anything routine."

Igmund grimaced. "Anything not involving the Silverblood family, yes, Dragonborn. But a woman was murdered a few days ago, and when her journal was found, it turned out she was one of General Tullius' agents, investigating corruption in that family. When I was informed, I asked for Legion intervention - I know the Silverbloods have corrupted the local Guard - and General Tullius granted it. To be honest, I'm hoping he puts the whole city under martial law, and cleans up the corruption I, for political reasons, can't."

He smiled then. "But that's not a reason for the Dragonborn to come here, so may I ask why Markarth has this honor?"

"A request for me and one of my team to look at something Calcelmo has translated, my Jarl," Shanti replied. "He seems to think it important, perhaps for my ultimate mission, perhaps for something else, but ... he is a prominent scholar, so I thought it important to find out."

Igmund nodded. "If Calcelmo pays attention to anything except his immediate researches, it's bound to be important." He turned to his housecarl. "Take them to him, Faleen, please."

The steel-armored woman bowed to her Jarl, then turned to the party of adventurers. "If you'll follow me, please?"

They did so, back down the steps and past a pair of guards, then up a path through rubble and to a cleared area with enchanting and alchemy stations, plus a couple of stone tables cluttered with books and Dwemer relics, where a couple of men were working.

"Company, Calcelmo," Faleen called. "And be polite; it's the Dragonborn and her team, answering your invitation."

"Ah, excellent!" Calcelmo turned with a smile. "Thank you for coming, Dragonborn! And it's good to see you again, S'Wynn - tell me, how are your own researches coming?"

"Very well, thanks," the Khajiit replied. "But we're here about that possible prophecy you wrote about - we can talk about our researches later, after you've satisfied four cases of severe curiosity!"

Calcelmo chuckled. "Of course, of course. Come with me, up to my office. I have both the original document and my translation up there. Then I'll give you a guided tour of my museum and laboratory - I rarely allow visitors to either, especially the laboratory, but for a fellow researcher and the Dragonborn ... I could hardly refuse. And the rest of her team as well, of course, if they're interested."

"That would be most interesting," Shanti said. "I look forward to it ... but as S'Wynn said, the possible prophecy first, please."

"Certainly - follow me." Calcelmo led them out of the excavation area, across the Understone Keep entryway, and up another set of stairs, to a door guarded by a pair of Markarth Guards. He nodded to them, and both bowed, then one opened the door for them.

Shanti caught her breath at her first glimpse of the museum, hand reflexively going to her mace, but S'Wynn caught her arm. "It's all right, Dragonborn - these exhibits are all inert."

Calcelmo looked at her, seeming a bit surprised. "Of course they are. I would hardly bring functional automatons into the Keep!"

"My apologies - I should have known." With a bit of reluctance, Shanti released the hilt of her mace and smiled. "But ... you have them very convincingly posed, Master Calcelmo, and I am not too long from my first encounter with automatons."

"And you're a warrior, so of course you went on alert." Calcelmo smiled indulgently. "But I assure you, Dragonborn, that nothing in my museum or laboratory will threaten you. Though I daresay that if you have any curiosity at all, a number may intrigue you."

"Oh, they do," Shanti said. "Though for now, my current interest is the best way to keep them from killing me!"

Calcelmo chuckled. "I can understand that, and I'll point out some weaknesses. And ... if you're going to be exploring many of their ruins, I will happily pay you very well for anything unusual you may find."

"If you will give me some idea of what you consider unusual, certainly," Shanti said. "I have only been in one so far, so I have no idea what would especially interest you."

"I'll have Aicantar draw up a list of examples and send it to you," Calcelmo said.

They continued through the museum and laboratory, then out onto the Wizards Balcony and up a flight of outdoor - though sheltered - stairs to Calcelmo's office complex.

That was dominated by a large stone block covered with engraving, and Shanti couldn't help asking, "What is that?"

"What I was hoping to find the last time I spoke with S'Wynn," Calcelmo replied, grinning at the other Khajiit. "Do you remember?"

"Yes! Something with the same text in Dwemeris and Falmer - but where did you find it, how did you get it here, and may I make rubbings?"

"My office first, and I'll tell you everything," Calcelmo said, and once they were settled in his comfortable office, he did. "The slab came from Nchuand-Zel, the lower level of what's now Markarth. As for how I got it here ... well-paid laborers and a lot of padding to keep it from being damaged. Though I did lose some laborers to a giant frostbite spider they named ... what was it, now? Oh, yes. Nimhe. I'd appreciate it if you could find time to kill it before you leave."

"I think we can manage that," Shanti said with some amusement. "After some of the other enemies we have faced, a giant spider should be no problem."

"If you kill it, Dragonborn, I'll be in your debt. But you're here for the prophecy." He opened a desk drawer and handed S'Wynn two sheets of paper. "The first is a transcription of the original Falmer, the second my translation. Let me know if you see any discrepancies I missed between the two."

S'Wynn studied the papers for several moments, then shook his head. "I see no discrepancies."

"Then the Dragonborn must see the translation." S'Wynn nodded, and handed that paper to Shanti.

She read it silently, frowning, then read it aloud. "When cat and dragon are one, Gold scours the land like a plague and Silver languishes broken in the depths, then Order grants Words, and the Overlord restores a balance shattered ages ago."

She shuddered. "I am Khajiit with a dovah soul, so that part is clear. Gold scouring the land could well be the Thalmor, since the Dovahzul for Altmer is Gold or Golden Elves in Common. But the rest I cannot even guess at."

S'Wynn frowned. "I think ... since we are in the time that prophecy refers to, rather clearly ... I might be able to make a few guesses. Silver languishing broken in the depths - the Falmer, perhaps?"

Calcelmo nodded thoughtfully. "That would make sense, given the history we know of the Falmer resorting to the Dwemer for help, then both essentially disappearing. But that leaves the identities of both Order and the Overlord unknown."

* _Do your dream of Jyggalag and your status after defeating Alduin not make the connection?_ * Mulventoor asked, his mental voice sounding disappointed when she didn't react immediately. * _Or perhaps those are connections you do not_ wish _to make?_ *

"Divines protect me," Shanti said in a shaky voice.

"What is it, Shanti?" Bjorn asked, clearly concerned.

"A ... a figurative stomp on the tail from Mulventoor," she replied. "A millennia-old guest in your mind who thinks of you as ... I suppose something like a niece ... can be uncomfortable at times, when he makes you look at something you do not wish to see."

Calcelmo nodded slowly. "Aicantar has told me as much on several occasions. Mulventoor is one of the dragons whose souls you have absorbed, I gather."

"You gather correctly. And he reminded me of two things. First, a dream I had about a Daedric Prince I had never before heard of, namely Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order. Second, something he told me himself, that if - or I must say when, for any peace of mind - I defeat Alduin, I will take his place as thur of the dov ... and thur translates into Common as overlord."

"Ah!" Calcelmo smiled widely. "That clarifies matters nicely. So the Prince of Order wishes to aid you in restoring the Falmer ... possibly to replace the Dwemer as intelligent underground dwellers, as the Nords replaced the Snow Elves in that above-ground capacity."

Voranil laughed. "I wouldn't have thought of that, but you certainly have a point. Now he needs to get the Words to her. Another dream, perhaps?"

Bjorn had been doodling idly on a piece of scrap paper, and finally looked down at it. Then, in a troubled voice, he said, "I ... don't think so. I can't read it, but ... uh, this looks like the dragon scratchings on the Word Walls."

"May I see that?" Shanti asked.

"Uh ... sure." Bjorn handed it over, pulling his hand away and scrubbing it on his surcoat as soon as she took the paper.

Shanti hid a frown at his reaction and made a mental note to speak to him as soon as they were finished here. "You are correct; it is Dovahzul. It says 'Od Gruth Vo', which translates to Common as 'Snow Betrayal ... Opposite-of, or Reverse.' Very similar to the Resurrection Shout Alduin uses, and that I tried to use for Mulventoor."

Bjorn stood, his face pale and his expression ... frightened? His voice trembled when he asked, "May I leave, Lady Shanti? I ... I think I need a drink."

"Certainly!" Shanti watched him leave the room, frowning - openly this time. "This is not good," she said softly. "Voranil, could you go with him? He worries me a bit."

"Of course." Voranil stood and followed his fellow bodyguard.

"A bit more direct than I would've expected," Calcelmo said. "I could wish I had such insights, at times."

"But you are a very inquisitive researcher and mage, with much experience," S'Wynn said. "I find that kind of disturbance quite understandable for a young soldier suddenly - at least by appearance - used as a channel by a powerful Daedric Prince." He chuckled. "And you shouldn't express such wishes ... you may find them answered in a way you neither expect nor wish."

"True, but still ... " Calcelmo sighed. "It seems our conference is over until later. Let me know when you want more information."


	37. A Change of Plans

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Chapter 37 - A Change of Plans

Late the next morning, Bjorn asked to see Shanti, and she admitted him to her room in the Silverblood Inn at once. "What is it, my friend?"

"I ... don't feel quite right about this," the young Nord replied. "I ... um, well, I knew being one of your bodyguards would be dangerous, and that encounter with Hermaeus Mora terrified me, I have to admit. But yesterday, being used by a Daedric Prince to get those Words to you ... well, I feel ... well, violated, I suppose is as good a word as any. Like ... I mean, he didn't bother asking, just took me over. Or took over my hand, at least."

He hesitated, shaking his head. "I'm not saying this very well, am I? But I'm not sure I want to risk that again."

Shanti hid a frown, not wanting to distress him further. "If you wish to leave, I will put no obstacles in your way," she said calmly. "But I must say if that is what is on your mind, I would ask that you think on it, and perhaps pray to whatever Divine or Divines you prefer - even speak to a priest or priestess."

That got a shaky smile. "I am, Dragonborn - or did you forget?"

"I meant a real, trained one," she retorted, smiling. "If it eases your mind, in the dream he sent me, I sensed no evil. Not good, as such, either, but the Prince of Order is certainly not evil. As best I can describe it, he is a force for balance."

Bjorn nodded slowly. "May I ask about the dream?"

Shanti didn't really want to talk about it, but given Bjorn's distress, she nodded. "Though I do not remember all of it clearly."

"That's all right," Bjorn said. "I'm ... less interested in the details than in how the experience affected you." He sighed. "So what was it like?"

"Well, it began in a huge and impressive - even beautiful, in an austere way, thinking back on it now - throne room. There was a large human-looking figure in steel armor on the throne, and a collection of other human-looking beings gathered in front of it - except for what I remember thinking of as a 'mass of tentacles with entirely too many eyes' floating a bit higher."

Bjorn nodded. "Mora, obviously. Did you recognize any of the others?"

"No - and I had no idea what the tentacle-thing was, either, then. The one on the throne stood and welcomed me to the Halls of Order, and said something about Sheogorath ... not being real, I think. He called himself Jyggalag, Lord or Prince of Order.

"I do remember, very clearly, him saying that the chaos involved in Alduin's destruction of Mundus would deeply offend him. And that no Prince may claim me as his or her Champion, and that after I learned Dragonrend, that would become a moot point."

"Huh?" Bjorn smiled. "I don't know what that means, but if this Jyggalag's protecting you from the other Princes, I suppose I shouldn't feel too bad about him borrowing me to send you a message. Thanks, Shanti ... that's a big relief. I was really worried."

"I am very happy I was able to help." Shanti returned the smile. "Perhaps prayer to one or more of the Divines will settle you more, but I have the firm impression that whatever happens to me, at least at the hands of the Princes, must have the agreement of Akatosh."

"That's all I needed ... but maybe a bit more sleep? I'm kinda hung over after yesterday."

"Then go rest. I have a few things to do, but nothing that requires a bodyguard."

* * *

Shanti's first task was to write to General Tullius, passing along Jarl Igmund's hope that he'd send an occupation force to Markarth. She was hopeful about a positive response; he was responsible for Skyrim, but the Emperor had wanted Maven Blackbriar as Jarl of the Rift, so he'd been unable to clean it out. Divines willing, he'd no such orders about the Reach or its capital!

Next, how to find the Dragon Priests to hone her skills? Not her physical ones; even with enchanted armor and weapons, and Khajiit advantages over humans, she was about at her maximum there, and only had to maintain that edge. No, what she needed to improve were her magical and Voice skills.

* _Especially your Voice skills,_ * Mulventoor sent. * _You ... have a disadvantage against both winged dovah and the undead draugr who can use Voice, which definitely includes Dragon Priests._ *

"I have noticed that," Shanti said, unable to keep a bit of sarcasm from creeping into her voice. "They can Shout repeatedly, with seconds or less between, while I must, for some reason, wait a much longer time between Shouts. And that is time I cannot afford while under attack." She scowled. "Nor does it help that they are so fast that if I am knocked off my feet by Fus, I cannot even rise to defend myself before I am thrown down again. Or hit by Yol before I can heal, though if I have a potion ready, I can normally get it down in time."

* _Mmm. That is a definite problem, which must be remedied. I will have to think about how to do so, though, and do some analysis, perhaps a bit of experimentation, when you Shout. If you permit, of course_.*

Shanti chuckled. "Of course I permit it, vahriini. But in the meantime, do you know where I can find any Dragon Priests?"

* _Two, perhaps. Krosis was entombed at Shearpoint while I still lived, and there is a Word Wall there which teaches a Shout useless to winged dovah but that our priests occasionally found useful. Then Volsung was entombed at Volskyyge. Beyond that, I fear you will have to ask a living dovah, who will be able to trace the masked priests by the magic in their masks, as I no longer can_.*

"That will be a start. What is the Shout at Shearpoint?" She couldn't imagine a Shout that would be useless to dragons but not to their priests.

* _Throw Voice_.* Mulventoor snorted a chuckle, knowing her well enough to guess what she meant. * _They sometimes found it useful while trying to be stealthy. But stealth is not something we winged ones are capable of_.*

Shanti chuckled as well. "A valid point, vahriini - you are a bit too large to be stealthy. Very well, when we have fought the priests at Shearpoint and Volskygge, I will ask ... probably Odahviing ... about others."

* _That would be best_ ,* Mulventoor agreed. * _He was Alduin's chief lieutenant, once Paarthurnax began aiding the mortals, and when you defeat Alduin, will have first claim on being yours. If you give him some confirmation of that beforehand, it would be well. Status is as important to dovah as wealth is to most mortals, you know_.*

"I did not, but I can understand it," Shanti said. "I care about wealth for what it can do for me and my family, but care little about status ... though simply being Dovahkiin is giving me more than I ever expected as a Junior Legionnaire."

That got a mental laugh. * _Even the lesser Dovahkinne have been rulers, and the most recent other full one became a Divine, by Bormahu's will. So yes, you should have very high status_.*

"Then should I perhaps speak to him even before fighting a Priest? Paarthurnax is my oldest dovah fahdon, but he does not seem the sort to aid an active Dovahkiin."

Mulventoor sent a chuckle. * _Yes, speaking to the Third-Born would be wise. Keep him in your confidence as much as you can, Dovahkiin, for if you do, you will have his full support_.*

"Then I shall do so. I had thought to find some Falmer and test the new Shout I was given, but from what you say, this should take precedence."

* _You grow in wisdom, Youngest Sister. Inform him of that new Shout as well_.*

* * *

Shortly after lunch, Shanti teleported herself and her team to Windstad Manor. She looked around, but saw no traces of Rodryn and his peoples' presence - even horse droppings were gone, which she appreciated. She'd told hers what she intended, so moments later, she Called Odahviing, as a request, not a challenge or demand.

When the red dovah landed moments later, he gave the impression of curiosity. "You wish something, Youngest Sister?"

"Tinvaak, if you have the time," Shanti replied. "I would like to know what you think of my plans to prepare for the final confrontation with Alduin, and what I would like to do afterward." She paused, twitching her tail. "Assuming I am victorious, of course, because otherwise, plans are pointless."

Odahviing settled into a comfortable crouch. "I have as much time as you need, Youngest Sister."

"Good. First, we found out yesterday that the Daedric Prince Jyggalag, their ruler, has made me immortal in the same way dovah are, and gave me a Shout to restore the Falmer ... possibly to replace the Dwemer as underground intelligent dwellers."

Odahviing nodded slowly. "I thought there was something different about you, grah-briinahzin." He gaped a smile. "This is good. You will need it. And a Shout to help restore the world as it should be, though with a different race, is also good. You should test it soon, to make sure you have not been deceived."

"I plan to. But there is more, if you do not mind. I think I should face and fight Dragon Priests, up to and including Miraak, before I dare to face Alduin. Your opinion?"

Odahviing took time to clean his left wing-claws before replying slowly. "A few Priests, yes ... but truly, wait for Miraak and his counterpart, Vahlok, until after Alduin. You are not able to face two who could split a continent, not yet, and facing the Eldest may gain you the strength you need. If not, a few more lesser masked priests ought to serve that purpose."

He paused again, cleaning the right wing-claws, before speaking again. "So ... in between your defeat of Alduin and facing the Traitor?"

"I wish to begin restoring the cooperation that existed between dov and vodov that existed before Alduin ... became enthralled by power, if that is the correct term. And I wonder if you would be willing to help me with that, after his defeat."

Shanti managed not to quail beneath his scrutiny, until he cocked his head. "What do you have in mind, Dovahkiin?"

"I will need a competent lieutenant who shares my goals. If that description would apply to you, with him gone ... "

Odahviing was silent for some time, and Shanti was beginning to wonder what she would do when he refused, when he emitted a small gout of flame. "Are you serious, Youngest Sister?"

"Very serious indeed. I am Dovahkiin, with dovahsos ahrk dovasiil ... but I am, most obviously, not a true winged dovah. Even when I defeat Alduin, I will be handicapped, perhaps, in the view of other dov. I will need a loyal second - Thur-ziist - to implement what must be done among the dov."

"Ah. So you see problems clearly, perhaps with Mulventoor's aid."

"I do my best, geh."

"Indeed. Then defeat Alduin, and I will hail you as Thur, and aid you as you wish. But you are also correct about requiring more experience first. So do you have plans there?"

Shanti nodded. "Shearpoint and Volskygge, the only two Dragon Priest locations I am sure of. Though if you have another suggestion, I will listen."

"If I am interpreting some things Britgrahreg and I have overheard correctly," Odaviing said, "this is your property?"

"It is, yes, but ... overheard? How could you get close enough to overhear vodov speech?"

Odahviing snorted a chuckle. "A combination of silent casting and invisibility plus the Become Ethereal Shout, when either of us hear your name being mentioned, and dovah hearing is necessarily very good indeed. It is a difficult combination, and not always fully effective, but it works well enough, often enough, to learn such things on occasion. But since you do own Windstad Manor, you might want to consider eliminating the draugr and Vokun inhabiting High Gate Ruins, over there." He gestured with a wing.

"What? There is a Dragon Priest not a quarter mile from here?" When Odahviing nodded, she sighed. "Then you are correct, that should be my first priority. I plan to do most if not all my crafting here, once I have the manor restored, and that usually attracts people. Should a village form, I certainly do not wish the inhabitants menaced."

"So ... this is the sort of cooperation you wish? Protecting the helpless ... we did that in the very earliest days, I think, but the memory is vague. Yes, Youngest Sister. Clear your own barrow before worrying about others. Britgrahreg or I will guard it once that is done, as time permits."

"I thank you. Add Nosnumul to that, if you will inform him; he is now an ally, as well."

"Ah? And why?"

"I do not know why he made that choice, but perhaps it was because some of the Traitor's cultists were preparing to ambush me, and he chose to stop them. Then he offered alliance, and gave me a brief version of the Traitor's story."

"This is good, and yes, I will speak to him and add him to the roster. So you will go against Vokun?"

"Yes, and - " Shanti glanced at the sun's position. "It seems we still have time to do so today, so if you will excuse us, we will begin."

"I go, then." Odahviing launched himself into the sky.

* * *

It took Shanti and her team less than half an hour to get up to High Gate Ruins, where they found a number of dead-again draugr in the antechamber, and a woman in scanty fur "armor" in the second. She turned to them and said, "You look strong."

Shanti didn't say what she was thinking, that the other looked stupid, going into a barrow with nothing better than what she was wearing. Though possibly she was a mage, and thought she needed nothing more ... "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"I'm Anska. I've finally located Vokun's crypt! The scroll I'm looking for just has to be here. You?"

Shanti sighed. "I am Shanti Dragonborn, here to deal with Vokun, who was a Dragon Priest. He might be a bit more than you wish to go against."

Anska grinned. "Then maybe you could help find my scroll! I just know it's in here."

Shanti hid another sigh. "Tell me about this scroll. Though I might as well aid you, if you promise to stay out of my way."

Anska looked a bit offended, but replied. "It's probably meaningless to you, but according to family legend it links our bloodline back to Ysgramor himself." Then she paused before adding, "You can have anything we find, except the scroll, of course."

"Very well. Do not get in front of me, though, however eager you are."

"I promise, Dragonborn. Can we go now?"

Shanti led the way deeper into the ruins, the rest following her. Anska wasn't as bad a chatterer as Frey had been, and far less arrogant, but she was a mage who enjoyed using her power, especially when it came to setting draugr on fire, something Shanti couldn't fault her for.

It wasn't all that different from any other barrow run after that. A puzzle to open a trapdoor deeper into the interior, encountering a couple of traps, until they arrived at a throne room with a sarcophagus. It burst open immediately when Shanti absorbed a word of Storm Call from the nearby Wall, and Shanti started Shouting Fire Breath as quickly as she could, supplemented by blows from her mace in the brief times she could get close enough.

Anska wasn't the greatest mage Shanti had encountered, but the had to admit the scantily-clad Nord wizard was holding her own, and did help defeat Vokun, rather to her surprise. When Vokun turned into dust and she retrieved his mask and staff, Anska was looking around eagerly.

"That was Vokun, the guardian of the scroll. It doesn't seem to be in here, though ... maybe in the next room?"

Shanti grinned, waving her forward. There was little or no danger from here on out, with Vukun no longer a factor, so having Anska in front of her was no longer a problem. She chuckled when Anska sneered at Vokun's remains, saying, "Good riddance. Let's move on, the scroll must be in the next room."

Shanti followed her, then saw the Nord standing, pointing. "There it is! On the table."

Shanti glanced at her, curious as to why she hadn't claimed it already, and the Nord woman grinned at her. "It'll make a better story if I'm fighting behind you and you recover the family scroll, Dragonborn. Nobody'd believe I got here before you, even if I say you allowed it!"

"A good point," Shanti admitted, and went to the table, picked up the sealed scroll, and handed it to Anska. "I shall keep that part confidential in the journals I turn over to the Bards' College, then."

Anska grinned in reply, accepting the scroll. "I can't thank you enough for all of the help. I doubt you'll need this, but it might come in handy."

Shanti accepted a tome for Conjure Flaming Familiar, though she didn't think it was anything she would use. Pass it on to the College for a conjuration student, perhaps, but she smiled politely. "A generous gift, and I thank you for it. But will you indulge my curiosity about just what that scroll says?"

"Of course, Dragonborn. Let me look. This is a very exciting moment for me." Anska unrolled the scroll, then frowned. "Hmm, it's encrypted. It'll take a while to figure this out."

"Perhaps I can help?" S'Wynn offered. "I am a scholar, though I tend more to Dwemer technology than to encryption."

Anska handed the scroll over, and S'Wynn studied it for several minutes before handing it back with a regretful expression. "I am sorry, Mistress Anska. I can make nothing of this."

Anska shrugged. "Thanks anyway. It could take me as many years to decrypt as it took me to find it, but I'm not giving up." She smiled, looking around an Shanti's team members. "Truly, I thank all of you for the help you've given me in regaining this bit of my family's heritage. I will let Lady Shani know if I ever manage to get the scroll decrypted."

"I would appreciate that," Shanti replied.


	38. Agdurliiv's Advice

.

Chapter 38 - Agdurliiv's Advice

When Shanti and her team arrived at Shearpoint, she wasn't too surprised to find a dragon perched on the Word Wall. It had clearly seen them and stood, mantling its wings, and spoke. "Dovahkiin."

The tone was a challenge, and Shanti inclined her head. "Geh, zu'u faal Dovahkiin. Ahrk hi?"

"Zu'u Agdurliiv. I wish to test your Thu'um for myself."

It seemed Odahviing's status was high enough for dovah to honor his request ... or was it an order? she asked herself ... to observe formalities in Dovahzul, then - at least if her team was present - switch to Common. "And the terms you propose?"

"Should I win, and you defeat Krosis, you will proceed to Solstheim, then find and face the Traitor as soon as you are able to discover a way to Apocrypha."

"And should I win, you will ally with me, as three others have already done?"

Agdurliiv snorted. "Nid. I am one of those who aided Paarthurnax, so it surprised me when Alduin resurrected me, then did not immediately kill and devour me - though I suppose it is possible he did not know. Should you win, I will do what no sensible dovah would, and take you as Thuri. Is that a satisfactory exchange?"

Going after Miraak was something she would do anyway, though earlier than she wished if she lost this challenge, in exchange for a living vahriin? It was a duel she could not truly lose, so Shanti nodded. "Your terms are acceptable. Please ward yourself, since I have no desire to harm, much less kill, you."

The dovah gave her a quizzical look, then she sensed a ward forming, waited for it to complete, and used Fire Breath.

Then she started to ward herself, and Agdurliiv snorted. "There is no need, Dovahkiin. Despite your ... forgive me ... inelegant usage, it is clear your Thu'um considerably outclasses my own. It is easily it the top ten, perhaps even five, I have felt. I acknowledge you as Thuri, though I would prefer not to say that openly until you have defeated Alduin."

Shanti chuckled. "You need not. As Odahviing said when he mentioned those who question Alduin's Thu'um, you are not fools." She paused, ears twitching. "But you mentioned that my usage is inelegant. What do you mean by that?"

* _And why did you not correct me?_ * she asked Mulventoor.

* _Few of us worry about elegance, just strength. Granted, your delivery could be smoother, but there is nothing truly wrong with it.*_

 _*But Khajiit do care about elegance and grace_ ,* Shanti sent, then turned to Agdurliiv. "I listen, and hopefully I will learn."

"You honor me, Thuri. Very well. You pronounce each Rotmulaag separately, with increasing stress on each one, and I would assume think of that as necessary to a Thu'um."

Shanti nodded. "That is how I learned them, and how they have been used against me. Mulventoor says most dovah do not care about elegance, and I am sure draugr do not, but we kaaz do. So I wish to improve."

"Very well." Agdurliiv gaped a smile. "Think of Common, where a word can be comprised of many smaller parts, not all of which necessarily have individual meanings, but that form a singular whole."

"Syllables, yes, or single words forming a compound with a related but not identical meaning. I am with you so far."

"Good. Now think of a Thu'um as a singular whole, with Rotmulagge as its syllables. Take for example a dovah name, which is composed of three Rotmulagge, and is a Thu'um in its own right. How do you think of that dovah?"

Shanti considered that. How _did_ she? Certainly not as three separate Rotmulagge ... Paarthurnax, for instance, was just that, not Paar Thur Nax, and the same with the others she knew ... Mulventoor, Odahviing, Britgrahreg.

"I believe I begin to understand," she said slowly. "I should think of Yol Toor Shul as Yoltoorshul instead, and try to comprehend it as a whole, rather than simply its parts?"

"Precisely! You learn quickly, Thuri." The green dovah gape-grinned again. "And if you are able to do so, though I can guarantee nothing, in some cases that ability has been known to improve speed or power, sometimes both."

"Either would be nice, both would be wonderful, but I appreciate the added elegance even if neither happens. In any case, I believe it would take some meditation to integrate your insight."

"Of course. In the meantime, why did you come here? For the Thu'um my Word Wall holds?"

"Yes, and as you surmised, to face Krosis, as I have as yet fought only one Dragon Priest, and wish to get some experience before facing Miraak."

"My Wall is yours, Thuri. Do you wish my aid against Krosis?"

"Not unless we are becoming overwhelmed, or you can suggest better tactics. If I am to fight Miraak the Traitor, I must learn to fight lesser Priests first."

"Wise," Agdurliiv said, then raised his head and sniffed. "There is a storm on the way, Thuri, moving quickly. If you wish to learn the Thu'um here and then battle Krosis, I would suggest you not delay. Shearpoint is not a good place for mortals to be stormbound."

Shanti debated telling him that wouldn't be a problem, but decided against it. Odahviing and Paarthurnax knew of her ability to teleport, but it probably shouldn't go beyond them, just yet. Dovah had entirely too much of a tendency to gossip, and until she defeated Alduin, it would probably be best to keep it to her mentor and first ally. "I will take your advice, vahriini," she said, and approached the Wall.

It was the first time she'd absorbed more than one Word, and for a moment, she felt overwhelmed. Not for long, fortunately, since she immediately heard the explosive sound of the sarcophagus blowing open behind her.

She was startled when a masked - draugr - ? in elaborate robes floated out of the sarcophagus and immediately used Ice Spears on her.

She responded with Fire Breath, but he seemed to shrug it off, teleporting away. While she was waiting to be able to Shout again, she sent flames at him, and Voranil and S'Wynn used lightning bolts. Krosis teleported away again, then used his staff to send firebolts at her. She cast a quick ward spell, bouncing them away. She had time for a hasty thought about Bjorn, restricted to purely physical defense and offense, then she was warding off another blast from Krosis' staff.

She lost track of details, as always. There was simply too much going on for her to remember blow-by-blow action, and she had serious doubts about anyone who claimed to remember every detail of a combat, even one as simple as a two-person engagement.

Finally, after wearing him down, one of them got in the final blow, and Krosis collapsed into a pile of ash. It had probably been her, S'Wynn, or Voranil, given the Dragon Priest's teleportation ability, but it might have been Bjorn getting in a lucky blow or arrow.

She checked the ash pile, finding Krosis' staff - Fireballs, naturally - and mask, which had enchantments to fortify lockpicking, archery, and alchemy. Her own enchantments for lockpicking and alchemy were stronger than those on the mask, and since finding all the Words - or syllables - for Fire Breath, she'd used that as her ranged weapon instead of archery. So she'd probably sell it, maybe to Farengar, maybe to Archmage Aren, or -

Her thought was interrupted by Mulventoor's horrified reaction. * _No, Thuri! Keep these masks in your own hands, preferably in a secure location. They are dangerous in the wrong hands, and if someone gets all eight of the ones in Skyrim, plus a wooden one hidden in Labyrinthian, and thus is able to acquire the tenth, the potential damage becomes far greater_.*

* _Really? Then I will put them in Ofansebaalgruf's vault. I did not realize ... but I trust you, as I must.*_

Mulventoor sent a dragon chuckle. * _Then ask Agdurliiv for shelter, for the storm he smelled is almost on us, and since you do not wish to let him know your teleport ability - *_

Agdurliiv's voice interrupted the internal dialog. "Thuri, you and yours must get to shelter. There is no time for more than the lee of my Word Wall, but I will spread my wings to provide additional protection."

"We thank you, vahriini." The team scrambled back to the eastern side of the semicircular Word Wall, leaving room for the dovah in the center, then set up what camp gear they could under his right wing.

After they ate, Shanti moved under the other wing to meditate on what Agdurliiv had told her. She could hear the wind howling past his wing, but she'd been in enough blizzards that didn't bother her, and the temperature of the dovah's body kept her comfortable enough that meditation wasn't difficult. In fact, it seemed easier here, in the lee of a Word Wall and protected by a dovah who had sworn fealty to her.

She worked on her favorite first, Fire Breath, and it turned out to be surprisingly easy to go from three Words to one - at least for that Shout. It was odd. She'd always liked Fire Breath, even with only one Rotmulaag of it, had liked it even better with all three ... but now that they were combined, they weren't just a Thu'um, they were part of her ... as if she were becoming a Thu'um herself. That made no sense, so she decided not to worry about it. She could test it later; for now, she needed some sleep, so she rejoined the others and snuggled into her sleeping bag.

When they emerged the next morning, it was to clear, if cold, skies, and a blanket of snow covering what of the Word Wall's floor that Agdurliiv hadn't protected.

"You are well, Thuri?" the dovah asked.

"We are, and we thank you for your aid. It could have been a most unpleasant night."

"I was happy to assist you, Thuri. It brought back some very, very old memories of our early days on Nirn, before humans began regarding us as gods." He sighed. "I was ... different then. That makes it difficult to remember clearly, you understand."

Shanti nodded, sensing Mulventoor's agreement. * _He is correct, Thuri. Even the older ones changed ... except Alduin, who ... influenced us to - or perhaps made us - change. But it is difficult to remember. I believe I need to consider for a time, and try to delve in my older memories. May I retreat for a day or two?*_

 _*Take as long as you need. This may be important.*_

 _*I thank you, Thuri._ *

Shanti felt his presence "retreat", and turned to Agdurliiv. "Mulventoor will be pondering on what you said. He agrees that there was a change, and wishes to delve into his oldest memories."

"I wish him success. I have a feeling it could be ... most important."

Shanti nodded. "So did he."

* * *

Curled up in bed that night, Shanti felt ... she wasn't quite sure how to identify it. Out of place, maybe? But why? She was in a very comfortable bed, in a luxurious home the very name of which identified it as a gift from the Jarl of Whiterun Hold, where she had been totally at home until ... last night, actually.

Eventually, Mulventoor asked, very gently, * _Do you truly not understand, Youngest Sister? You are dovah, and dovah are not indoor or lowland creatures. Your memories tell me you have never before spent a night on a mountain outdoors ... am I correct?_ *

After some thought, Shanti nodded. * _You are, vahriini - and Elder Brother. I have spent many nights outside, and much time in the mountains, but rarely spent overnight there. The most recent was when I was camping above Helgen, the night before Alduin appeared_.*

* _Mmm. Not all that high, and before you realized your Dovahkiin identity_.* He paused. * _So. Would it help if I shared memories of sleeping in my own lairs? Or perhaps you could teleport to Shearpoint - no, you wish to keep that ability restricted for now._ *

Shanti sighed. * _Share memories, then, vahriini. I need a restful sleep if I am to confront another Dragon Priest tomorrow, and not offend Jarl Balgruuf by spending my nights away from the home he has given me._ *

*So be it. One of my earliest memories of resting, then, from shortly after I woke on an Akaviri mountain.*

Shanti fell asleep to a shared memory of being perched on a tall, snowy mountain peak above a steamy jungle, and dreamed of ... well, when she woke, all she could remember was flashes of creatures like none in Skyrim, or possibly all of Tamriel. Perhaps, she thought drowsily, she'd visit Akavir some day. Divines know she'd have plenty of time to do it in!

A few more minutes of relaxation, then she decided she really ought to get out of bed. They were going to Volskygge today, then ... then it would be time to face Alduin. Destroyer Devour Master. The World-Eater.

She shook herself. This wasn't the time to brood! Finish up her journal notes from yesterday, then get ready for today's job. Brooding would have to wait. Though it amused her, very mildly, that she was beginning to think of facing a Dragon Priest as "a job" ...


	39. Final Preparations

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Chapter 39 - Final Preparations

Studying their maps, over breakfast, the four decided the best route to near Volskygge was to start in Solitude, have Voranil guide them close enough to the Thalmor Embassy that they could pick up the northern road west, follow that past the road to Fort Hraggstad and Lost Echo Cave, then veer southwest. It wasn't the most direct, but it would take them past terrain that would slow them down even more than taking the longer route, so it would actually save time, and get them to their target less tired. They'd decide whether or not to camp when they actually arrived, depending on the time and how tired they were.

Shortly before they got to the road up to the fort, though, they were approached by an Orc in a type of armor Shanti hadn't seen before. It looked like padding quilted over some kind of plates. "You, there," he said. "The Dawnguard is looking for anyone willing to fight against the growing vampire menace. What do you say?"

"Excuse me?" Shanti replied. "I have heard of the increased vampire activity, and have been attacked a couple of times by them, but I am currently on a rather more urgent mission."

"What could be more important?" the Orc demanded.

S'Wynn laughed. "I see we aren't as well-known as I'd thought. Three of us in dragonscale armor, and she a Khajiit - my friend, you're trying to recruit the Dragonborn!"

Orcs didn't blush, but this one managed to look apologetic. "Uh, sorry, Dragonborn ... didn't mean to disturb you! And I'm Durak."

"You did not," Shanti assured him. "I am flattered to be asked, and I will speak with your leader once I have dealt with Alduin, and perhaps Miraak. Who is he, and where may I find him?"

"Isran, at Fort Dawnguard in Dayspring Canyon, east of Riften. I'll mark it on your map." He did so and returned the map.

"Ah ... before you go, what is that odd weapon you carry?" she asked. "It looks partly like a small bow, but ... "

"It's a crossbow, my Lady," Durak replied politely. "Slower to reload than a standard bow, but hits a lot harder and is much easier to aim. Also, it's the best weapon we've found against vampires. Here, I'll show you how it works, if you don't mind a bolt in one of your gateposts."

"Go ahead."

He did, cocking and loading the crossbow, which did take longer than nocking an arrow and drawing a standard bow, but his aim and release were faster, and the bolt went deeper into the post than Shanti would have believed without seeing it.

She walked over to examine the bolt, then turned to the Orc. "Aside from being steel rather than Dwarven metal, this is identical to some of what we have found in Dwemer ruins. And that crossbow looks very much like an unfolded sphere's left arm."

"I'd really like one of those," Bjorn said. "And what about you, Shanti? It looks easier for someone without advanced training to use."

Shanti chuckled. "It does indeed, but I prefer to use Voice as my ranged weapon." She returned her attention to the Orc. "I would not like to deprive you of your best weapon, but ... is there any way I can get another for Bjorn?"

The Orc grinned. "I'll trade it to you for two of the Dwarven bolts, and permission to tell Isran the Dragonborn will talk to him after you finish off Alduin. I'll get a replacement as soon as I get back to the fort."

"Done, then." Shanti reached to the bolt quiver at her belt, and handed Durak a dozen bolts instead of the two he'd asked for. "Take these as a token of good will and encouragement."

The trade made, Durak left, and Shanti handed Bjorn the rest of the Dwarven bolts and the quiver.

* * *

When they approached the entrance, Detect Life told them there were three foes waiting, so Voranil and S'Wynn readied spells, Bjorn his bow, and Shanti Fire Breath. She was eager to try the single-word version, but given Bjorn's admission yesterday, if they were aiming at the same target, she would let him beat her. Granted, he didn't even have simple healing spells, couldn't cast Flames to save his life, but ... she liked him, and found his occasional insights valuable. He kept her connected, in a way she wasn't at all sure anyone else could, to ... yes, normal people.

She was surrounded by extraordinary people, most of the time. Two of her team were mages. Her parents were the head of the Military Governor's bodyguard and a celebrated, influential Bard. She was friends with Jarls and Thanes, even a Thane herself. So Bjorn was more valuable to her than he knew, but in a way he might think demeaning, though she certainly did not.

On the other hand, he was a skilled scout ... and he wasn't using that skill much, if at all. And ... hmm. She stopped before entering the ruins, turning to the rest. "It has just occurred to me that we are not making the best use of Bjorn's abilities, and we need to rectify that."

The Nord frowned. "What do you mean, Shanti?"

"That I have been being foolish, and only just realized it." She grimaced. "I know the value of intelligence, in the military sense - Divines know it was part of my training as a Junior Legionnaire. But ... well, I do not know why, but it simply never ocurred to me to have you scout for us. I must apologize."

That got a chuckle out of him. "Don't worry about it. I was assigned to you as a bodyguard, after all, and you know bodyguards usually stay close to their principals."

She nodded. "Thank you for sparing my feelings. But now S'Wynn has joined us, so I think it would be to everyone's advantage if you think your duties could be stretched to include scouting ahead. Granted, we have done well enough without it, but we have run into a number of unpleasant surprises, as well."

"True," Voranil said. "And if you remember, she refused more than two bodyguards, but there wasn't much she could do when S'Wynn attached himself to us. So she'll still have two close guards, plus all of us will have advance warning of whatever you find. I see no negatives to her suggestion."

"And I'll cast a 'don't-notice-me' spell on him before he leaves," S'Wynn added. "It can't hurt, and might help."

"Then cast it, and I'll get going," Bjorn said, smiling. "It'll be good to exercise my specialty again."

* * *

Having Bjorn scout ahead proved to be even more beneficial than Shanti had thought it would be. Not only did it have the advantages she had expected, and Voranil had confirmed, but it improved Bjorn's morale more than she would have expected. He'd made it past the three bandits outside without assistance, archery and stealth serving him well - perhaps better than the others' magic, because even a quietly cast spell made _some_ noise, and Shanti wasn't up to that level of skill yet. Her Shouts were impossible to conceal; even if she whispered, using intent to power them, the effects were impossible to ignore, so it was easier to use them at full volume.

Bjorn entered the ruin, returning very soon after. "Looks like an entry hall," he reported. "It was empty except for a couple of potions, which I grabbed. There's an iron door at the end. Couldn't hear anything past it, so I'd like you on hand when I actually open it, in case there's more behind it than I can manage. If there is, I'll hit the floor so you can fire over me."

"That'll work," Voranil said, and they did so. There was no immediate attack, so the rest waited while Bjorn scouted, then returned to report. "Two in a passage to the left - sounded like bandits. Otherwise, it looks like a banquet room, one with a dead draugr on the main table. Closed door at the far end."

They followed him inside, taking time to eliminate the bandits before they continued, collecting loot as they went. Next was a puzzle chamber, though this wasn't the usual rotating columns; this one had a clue set on a pedestal that involved animal feeding patterns, and columns holding twist-handles that had to be turned in the correct order.

Between the four of them, that wasn't difficult, though Shanti, city-raised, admitted to herself that she'd probably have gotten at least two of them wrong, had she been on her own. They dodged a couple of traps, and found some hidden treasure, as they continued, again following Bjorn.

Shanti couldn't be sure, but she got a very strong impression that he was happier as a scout than as a bodyguard. Which was natural enough, since he'd been trained that way.

They followed him the rest of the way through the ruin, past a burial chamber and altar room with draugr, and a passage full of frostbite spiders. Shanti sighed as more draugr appeared in the next area, which had a brook flowing through it.

Then they came to what she thought - or at least hoped - was the last obstacle before facing Volsung himself, a throne-room-looking place with a Deathlord slumped on a throne at the top of a flight of stairs. Everyone else was behind her, so she seized the opportunity to test Agdurliiv's theory about Thu'um used as a single super-Word. "YOLTOORSHUL!"

She wasn't sure whether she was more surprised or gratified when the Deathlord dropped with a single Shout, and she felt she could do it again within seconds, maybe less.

So when they got to the next door, which felt like it led outdoors, she told the rest to stay back. "I need to find out what I can do alone," she explained. "If you hear me call for help, though ... well, it will be because I really need it."

Voranil and Bjorn both looked dubious, but nodded. "Okay," Voranil agreed. "I don't like it one little bit, but ... all right. And we'll leave the door ajar, so we can hear you."

"That is fine." Shanti took a deep breath, then approached the door to Volskygge Peak, where the Word Wall had been easily visible from below, and the Dragon Priest's tomb had to be.

She exited into a snowy landscape, not unexpectedly. The Word Wall was to her left, and she approached it, wondering if it were possible to get the Word without turning her back on the Priest's sarcophagus, but that didn't seem likely, since from her experience, actually reading the Word was what triggered the reviving of the Wall's guardian.

This worked out as usual. She got a Word for Whirlwind Sprint, which made her smile, then the sarcophagus behind her exploded, and she Shouted Yol at him, as a single word. She was pleased again that it seemed far more powerful than the three-separate-word version.

It wasn't enough, though, since he was hitting her with spells ... and while her Thu'um was far more powerful than his, his magic was at least as much more powerful, and far more varied, than hers. She knew a couple of healing and warding spells, plus flames, but as he cast conjuration, destruction, and alteration spells, she was reduced to Voice for offense, while using wards and healing to protect herself.

She had brief seconds, now and again, to regret leaving her team behind, but not enough time to call them. She was trying to use the Word Wall to protect herself from his teleportation, at least from attacks from behind or to her flanks, when she heard a polite Call. *Do you wish assistance, Youngest Sister, or would you prefer to continue on your own?*

*Help, please!* That had been Odahviing's voice, and she couldn't have been more grateful when he swooped, roaring, and clearly astonished the Dragon Priest. While Odahviing had him distracted, Shanti used Fire Breath repeatedly, surprised at how easy and fast that was since Agdurliiv's hint - and not having to wonder where in Mundus her opponent _was_!

When Odahviing landed, she approached him, sighing in relief. "Thank you, Grah-zeymahzin. He was ... too much for me."

"Indeed he was, which is why I intervened," Odahviing replied. "Never face a Dragon Priest without your team, Grah-briinahzin. You are excellent with the Thu'um, but ... rather lacking, at this point, in magical skills."

"I ... yes, I am. But I have defeated other dovah, or had them refuse to face me. From what you seem to be saying, any of them could have defeated me with magic ... but they used only Thu'umme."

"Of course." Odahviing settled to the snow. "It is a double thing. We dov are magical by nature, which means most of our magica goes simply to sustain ourselves. That leaves us relatively little to expend on joor-style magic." He heaved a deep sigh. "The same does not go for our Priests. They can be extremely powerful magically, as you have just seen. So we ourselves battle only with the Thu'um, for that is honorable ... but the Priests feel no such restrictions against any vodov, Dovahkiin or not. Volsung would not use magic against me, but had no hesitation using it against you."

Shanti sighed, sinking to meditation posture in the snow. "I do not understand."

She heard footsteps approaching, and turned enough to see her team joining them. S'Wynn went to the ash heap that had been Volsung, and returned with his mask, then he addressed Odahviing. "Nor do I. Would you explain?"

Red wings shrugged. "It is simple. It was - just barely - permissible for our masked Priests to test their Thu'um against us. Using magic against their gods was punished with death, and if Alduin became aware of it, with soul-destruction. To any revived Priests, I am still a god, but Dovahkiin, you are - forgive me - simply another Tongue to them."

Shanti nodded. "Ah. I believe I understand. Using magic against a dovah, for them, was sacrilege, but I am fair game."

"Essentially correct," Odahviing replied. "So - never face another Dragon Priest without your team, Grah-briinahzin. You need Voranil's and S'Wynn's magic, and Bjorn's new crossbow will be useful as well, particularly if you can enchant it with a spell to absorb magica."

Voranil bowed, smiling at the dovah. "Thank you, Odahviing. And if she can't, either S'Wynn or I can and will."

"You are welcome. To do less would be to dishonor my alliance." He turned back to Shanti. "Your Thu'um is fully developed now, Grah-briinahzin. I will take you to Skuldafn and Alduin's portal to Sovngarde as soon as you are prepared."

Shanti had a sudden sinking feeling, but tried not to show it as she rose from her meditation posture. "After I have eaten and slept, then. As long as he does not use magic against me, I suppose I am ... as ready as I will ever be."

"He will not. He is too proud to use it against another dovah, even one in vodov form. Trust me on this, Youngest Sister. And it is a good thing, because I doubt your team will be able co accompany you through his portal, since neither Paarthurnax nor I have been able to do so."

"But for Skuldafn itself - ?"

"If you wish to go through the ruins, I will carry them as well. If you simply wish to be delivered to the courtyard below the portal, and explore the ruins later, I will carry you alone." He gape-grinned. "Your choice, though you might want to go through Skuldafn, since when you are victorious, it will become yours. Though that particular discussion can wait until later."

"If they cannot help against Alduin, plan on me alone," Shanti told him. "I will take us home for food and rest, so expect me to call you in the morning."

"As you wish, my ally." Odahviing took wing, and was almost immediately out of sight.

Shanti delayed long enough to study the mask S'Wynn had given her, and smiled. "I believe I will keep this one with me for a while, given its enchantments. Fortify barter, fortify carry weight, and especially waterbreathing ... yes, it is worth the bit of extra weight!"

* * *

As soon as they entered Whiterun, they were met by a courier, who handed Shanti a letter. She waited until they were at home to open it, then sighed, and told the others, "Delphine and Esbern want to see me at Sky Haven Temple. I suppose I should honor their request, though I have a feeling it will be less than fruitful."

"Probably," S'Wynn agreed. "But you're right, we should probably meet them. The last of the Blades, after all ... even if it's only sentimental, I believe might be beneficial, and at worst would harm nothing."

"Very well. We can go immediately, I would like to get it over with before I face Alduin. I Marked the edge of the blood seal." Shanti winced. "A barbaric thing, and stupid if they needed to enter the Temple with no Dragonborn along. But we will have no problem."

* * *

When Shanti and her team entered the Temple, Delphine and Esbern were waiting, both looking less than happy. "Welcome back, Dragonborn," Delphine said politely. "We've had some ... bad news of your actions, and I'd like to confirm it."

"And what bad news would that be?" Shanti asked curiously. "As I see it, things have been going quite well. I have obtained three dovah allies, one vahriin, and several others who have agreed to leave vodov and their property alone until after my battle with Alduin."

"That's part of the news," Delphine said grimly. "You're letting dragons live, when you should be killing them. Icluding Paarthurnax, which we've been informed you've met."

Shanti nodded. "You have been informed correctly. Paarthurnax has been one of my best mentors, and has become a friend. And of course I let dovahhe live, if they do not threaten me or other vodov."

"And that's wrong," Delphine said grimly. "You're Dragonborn - as the title says, born to kill dragons. So why don't you do it?" She paused. "They're born evil, with a will to dominate, so killing them is self-defense."

Shanti sighed. "You are mistaken. I was born to stop one dragon, Alduin, and I intend to do so. But." She drew herself up, as much as a Suthay could. "Dovah are not born or created evil, even Alduin, as you would know if you gave it a bit of thought."

Esbern frowned. "What do you mean, Dragonborn?"

"All dovah are created - or born, depending on your faith - of Akatosh. Akatosh is not evil, so He does not create, and cannot birth, evil. even Alduin was not evil, originally." Shanti shrugged. "He was corrupted. Exactly how, I can neither say with authority, nor even guess. But I will kill no dovah simply for being a dovah. I have other hopes for them."

"Then as Acting Grandmaster of the Blades," Delphine said, "I must tell you that refusing your duty means we must refuse you our further help and protection."

Shanti shrugged. "So be it, then. You have given me Dragonbane and the information I needed on how to obtain Dragonrend, so I will leave this place - which you needed me to open - to you. But should you lock the door, I will not shed more blood to open it again. So go your own way, and I till go mine. Blessings of the Nine on you." With that, she left, not planning or expecting to see either of them again.

* * *

Author's Note: Next Thursday is Thanksgiving, and I usually have a rather busy holiday season, so updates will probably be sporadic (or perhaps nonexistent) until after New Year's. I'll try to maintain my regular schedule, but the odds are I won't be able to. But things will be back to normal in January.


	40. Sovngarde

**Author's Note: My sincerest apologies to all of you for the longer-than-predicted delay. I'd expected the holidays to be far busier than my usual time, and they were - but I hadn't expected to be taken to the Emergency Room and admitted to the hospital over Christmas, then cool my heels waiting for additional post-discharge tests. Good Lord willing, the worst of that is over, and I'll be able to get back on the regular schedule.**

 **Again, apologies for the longer than expected delay.**

* * *

Chapter 40 - Sovngarde

Shanti woke the day after Volskygge, both dreading what was to come and anticipating it at the same time. Today was what she'd been born for ... facing the World-Eater. By suppertime, she would either be victorious, or a permanent resident of some realm in Aetherius ... probably Sovngarde, since she'd been born and raised in Skyrim. Or not even that, if Alduin devoured her soul.

She got out of bed and groomed herself meticulously, then donned her freshly-polished armor over freshly-cleaned and lavender-scented padding. She left off her surcoat, not wanting to conceal her armor scales, even if - or maybe because, she wasn't sure - they'd been Mulventoor's first.

That done, she went down to breakfast with the rest, including her household staff, then. She felt she owed them that much, whichever way it went. It wasn't a particularly quiet meal, everyone wanting to wish her their best. It was difficult to socialize, under the circumstances, but her upbringing at least made it possible ... and she did appreciate the offered prayers and emotional support.

When she and her team, along with Lydia, started to leave the house to call Odahviing, she turned back and smiled at her people. "I will do my best for all of you, your families, and the rest of Mundus. But now I must go. Blessings of the Divines on you all."

* * *

Once they were outside the city walls, she called Odahviing. When he landed, he cocked his head. "So you are going through the ruins. But that woman is not part of your team, is she?"

"No. She is Lydia, my housecarl and the Steward of Ofansebalgruuf." Shanti grinned at him. "And a second no; I will be going straight to the Skuldafn portal, since I wish to meet Alduin when I am as rested as possible. But in our team discussion last evening, my team and steward decided they would like to go through Skuldafn, eliminate the draugr and other inhabitants, and evaluate the ruins while I am in Sovngarde. If you are willing to carry them, of course."

"I think that a wise decision, Grah-briinahzin. And since you ask, yes, I will carry all of you. Though your Steward does not appear to be dressed for dragon-riding."

"Leather breeches under my skirts," Lydia said with a smile. "I got the idea from S'Wynn."

Odahviing gape-grinned. "That will be sufficient. We will land in the rear courtyard, so the rest of you can help Dovahkiin. Alduin's portal to Sovngarde is protected by his personal high priest, Nahkriin, who holds the key to the portal, and I do not wish her to face him alone. After that, I will wait for you."

He paused, then looked at them thoughtfully. "A caution, to all of you. Time does not flow the same way in Mundus and the supernal realms. Here, time is essentially immutable, except for something like a Dragon Break. There, it is very mutable indeed. Once Dovahkiin enters Sovngarde, what feels like minutes or hours to her, may seem like seconds or years here in Mundus. Or the other way around, of course. There is simply no equivalence."

"So we have no idea where or when she'll reappear?" Bjorn said. "And we won't know if she's succeeded until she does?"

" _You_ may not know, but if she succeeds, all dovah will know immediately," Odahviing replied. "All dovah have a ... I suppose you could call it an inherent sense of our thur - overlord. If he is killed, we will know ... and that sense could, if Bormahu wills it, shift to her. As to when, no, there is no way of knowing, but where? There is only one logical place. The Tiid-ahraan on Monahven, where Paarthurnax waited millennia for Alduin's return. So when you are satisfied with your exploration of Skuldafn, I will fly you there, and we will wait for her."

He crouched, extending a wing. "Now mount, and we will go. You may hang on if you wish, but we do not lose the few we permit to ride us."

Shanti led the way onto Odahviing's neck, settling into the first scale "valley" behind his horns. As the others were following her, she said softly, "I am eager for this, Grah-zeymahzin. Not the fight, so much, though it will be good to have the suspense over. I want to be in the air!"

*Of course you do, Youngest Sister. Though your companions may be less enthusiastic; many of our passengers cannot handle dragon-flight. Fortunately, the results are easy to wash off one's scales.*

*Which is why we are using Dovahzul, not so?* Shanti chuckled, then twisted to call back to the others. "Odahviing tells me you may have trouble adjusting to the motions of dragon-flight. If the results are unfortunate, just try to get them into the air, rather than on him."

As soon as everyone was settled, Odahviing launched himself into the air with a powerful push of his legs and down-beat of his wings.

Once they were airborne, Shanti caught her breath in glee. This was wonderful! She moved easily with Odahviing, shifting instinctively with each wingbeat and shift of direction, most of her attention directed to the landscape below them. Then they were above the mountains, and Odahviing circled above Monahven, Calling "We go!" to Paarthurnax.

"Krif voth ahkriin!" came the reply, and Odahviing arrowed eastward.

* * *

When they landed in the rear courtyard and dismounted, Shanti was the only one fully battle-ready. The rest were suffering from varying degrees of air-sickness, and Nahkriin had been alerted by Odahviing's arrival, so she was immediately under fire, alone.

She cast wards, Shouting fire at the priest, but he teleported away - of course! And he'd been at the top of a flight of stone stairs, so she looked around until she found the bottom step, and began climbing as quickly as she could. Kill Nahkriin, take his key and mask, go to Sovngarde and defeat Alduin.

Put that way, it sounded fairly simple, but she knew it wouldn't be. Just staying alive against Nahkriin until her team recovered enough to back her up would be a challenge in itself. She cast the strongest ward she knew, then used Yol, disappointed but not surprised when he teleported out of her target zone.

Divines, but she hated the way the Dragon Priests could teleport! She might've complained about the unfairness of it all, but she'd learned from childhood on that life wasn't fair, so she didn't bother, simply shifting her attacks and defenses as rapidly as she could. It was a relief when she saw other magical attacks, as well as crossbow bolts, heading for Nahkriin. She cheered to herself when arrows and lightning bolts joined the attack ... arrows meant Lydia, and that shade of lightning bolt meant Voranil, since S'Wynn's were brighter yellow, almost white.

Something about Bjorn's bolts, too ... it took her a minute or so to realize he was anticipating Nahkriin's moves, and aiming at where he would be rather than where he was. A gift, or scout training, she didn't know, but she began following his bolts' aim with her Shouts, and it wasn't long after that that Nahkriin fell into dust. She hurried to the remains, retrieving his staff and mask. That was all he carried, other than one of the odd Akatosh amulets, so one of the two had to be the key Odahviing had mentioned.

Which one became obvious when she climbed to the platform that overlooked the closed portal, since there was a staff-sized hole in the center of a metal circle. She inserted the staff and watched the portal open, with a flight of stairs descending.

She turned back to those with her. "I will return as soon as I am able. If it is very long on this side, Odahviing, please take the rest back to Whiterun or Solitude; they cannot stay atop Monahven long, with no shelter."

"Of course, my ally. And I will remain with them, so we can all greet you when you do return."

"Thank you, Grah-zeymahzin." Shanti smiled, and was turning to descend the stairs when S'Wynn darted up and gave her a quick hug and muzzle-lick. "Divines and Daedra bless you, and - Dovahkiin, kos fin saavik do lein!"

By the time she reached to brush the side of her muzzle in surprise, he was back with the rest, so she sighed and started down the stairs. That wasn't how the Song of the Dragonborn went, but his replacement word - "world" rather than "men" - was arguably more accurate, so she refused to worry about it. It was more than a little odd, going into action without her team, but Odahviing had warned her that they would probably be unable to follow her into Sovngarde, which had turned out to be the case.

She was a bit uneasy about being alone, and that bothered her. Yes, she'd usually been part of a squad in the Junior Legion, and she'd been working with at least one other person in all of her adventuring ... but her solo time, with Bjorn keeping himself back, had made her wonder if she wouldn't be happier working alone. Not safer, no ... Bjorn's scouting, and Voranil and S'Wynn's magic, were definite benefits that way. But she couldn't help thinking that working solo might suit her better. But that speculation could wait until after her battle with Alduin, hopefully with the three First Tongues at her side. She was quite sure, after her first encounter with him, that she didn't care to face Alduin alone!

She followed the path at the bottom of the portal's stairs, past huge statues the tops of which vanished in a mist that didn't quite reach the ground. About the time she got to where it did, she encountered a Stormcloak soldier, who hailed her.

"Turn back, traveler! Terror waits within this mist!"

She recognized him from the day of Alduin's attack on Helgen. "Emund! What happened to you?"

"Near Giants' Gap, in the gloom before dawn, we marched, unsuspecting into the Imperials' trap. Then we stood and fought, our shield-wall defending until by dawn's light the Legion's ranks wavered. But I never knew if nights-end brought victory - a swift-flying arrow to Sovngarde carried me." He paused. "And you, not a Legionnaire?"

"Legate, actually, but retired," Shanti said, wondering at his odd manner of speech. He'd sounded like a normal soldier on the way to Riverwood. "What is this mist?"

"I do not know - but none have passed through. Alduin, his hunger insatiable, hunts the lost souls snared within this shadowed valley. Can you lead the way to where Shor's hall waits, beckoning us on to welcome long sought?"

"I am Dovahkiin, here to fight Alduin, so yes. Follow me."

"I'll try to hold to your hopeful purpose. Quickly, before this encompassing fog once more snares me in the World-Eater's net!"

She wasn't sure if Clear Skies would work here, but Shanti Shouted it, and was gratified to find that it did ... and the combined-word version worked better than the three-single-words version had on her way up Monahven the first time. Not long after she and Emund began following the path it revealed, they were joined by a Legionnaire and a man in civilian armor. Both greeted her in the same poetic way Emund had, which made her start to think it was the norm in Sovngarde, at least for the dead; she had no impulse to begin talking that way, herself.

As they kept going, with her using Clear Skies to keep the mist at bay, more and more warriors joined them, along with a large number of non-combatants. By the time they crossed a small brook and turned to approach the bone bridge to Shor's Hall, there were probably two or three hundred people behind her, perhaps a third of them fighters, including Ulfric Stormcloak and his housecarl Galmar, who'd joined them about half-way.

Before she could get to the bridge, Shanti was intercepted by the largest Nord she had ever seen, wearing little more than a loin-cloth, boots, and battle-axe. "What brings you, wayfarer grim, to wander here, in Sovngarde, souls-end, Shor's gift to honored dead?" he demanded.

"I pursue Alduin, the World Eater. And who are you?" she asked in return.

"I am Tsun, shield-thane to Shor. The Whalebone Bridge he bade me guard and winnow all those souls whose heroic end sent them here, to Shor's lofty hall where welcome, well earned, awaits those I judge fit to join that fellowship of honor."

"Ah. And I am Shanti Dragonborn." She bowed politely.

Tsun smiled. "It's been too long since last I faced a doom-driven hero of the dragon blood."

"Then may I enter the Hall?"

He shook his head, readying the huge battle-axe. "Living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge 'till I judge them worthy by the warrior's test."

"As you wish." Shanti unlimbered her mace. She was more than a little outclassed physically, so she attacked with Unrelenting Force.

It had absolutely no effect, even the strengthened version, so all she could do was try to block his battle-axe with her mace. She wasn't injured by his hit, but she was knocked back several feet, landing on her tail. He was grinning when she scrambled up again. "Well done, small one, but use your strongest weapons. Do not fear to harm me, for you cannot, more than temporarily. Just fight me as well as you are able."

Shanti nodded understanding, then hit him with Lightning Breath. When that staggered him, she followed it up with Flame breath. She was preparing Frost Breath, to hit him all three ways, when he raised a massive arm and smiled. "You fought well. I find you worthy. It is long since one of the living has entered here. May Shor's favor follow you and your errand."

Shanti bowed politely. "I thank you, Lord Tsun. I regret being such a puny opponent for one of your size and valor."

Tsun laughed. "Do not underestimate yourself, estimable Dovahkiin. Your body is small, but your spirit is great. And in these realms, it is spirit that counts. You have fully earned your passage."

Shanti gestured to the mini-army that had joined her on the trek from the portal to Shor's Hall. "What of these, Lord Tsun? They have been lost in Alduin's mist, kept from the Hall and their chance to prove themselves to you."

"Those who wish to challenge me must wait a little time yet," Tsun said, his tone regretful. "While Alduin haunts Sovngarde, only his fated opponent may I permit to enter. Though these may, if they choose, aid in that battle, which I am permitted to deem equal to facing me afterward."

That got cheers from those with her, and Shanti took time to smile at them, making eye contact with as many as she could. "I cannot lead you in this battle directly," she told them, "so I ask all of you to follow the highest-ranking officer among you." When she said that, she was looking directly at Ulfric Stormcloak. "If he is willing to lead a mixed force."

He hesitated, then nodded. "Skyrim was betrayed, the blood of her sons spilled in doomed struggle against fate. And so in death, too late, I learn the truth - fed by war, so waxed the power of Alduin, World-Eater - wisdom now useless. By gods' jest in this grim mist together snared, Stormcloak and Imperial, we wandered hopeless, waiting for succor." He smiled. "Which you have brought us, Legate Shanti Dovahkiin. Yes, I will lead your combined forces against our mutual foe."

"Kogaan. Krif voth ahkriin, hokoron meyz, grah-zeymahzin."

He laughed, then translated for the rest. "Blessings. Fight with courage, enemy-become-ally!"

That got laughter from the rest, followed by a cheer.

Shanti grinned, then turned back to Tsun and took the arm he offered to help her up to the first step of the Whalebone Bridge. She smiled thanks at him, then made the mistake of looking down at what the Bridge crossed, and involuntarily grabbed for one of the spine bones. That wasn't like looking down from a dragon in flight, where she could see the ground below them like an incredibly detailed map. It was looking at a waterfall into ... nothing, which she found disturbing. From then on, she kept her attention focused ahead, toward Shor's Hall of Valor, with only brief glimpses down to place her foot on the next whale-rib, carefully avoiding the sight of the infinite fall.

It was a relief to reach the end of the Bridge and set foot on what felt like real ground again. Approaching the Hall, the mist faded, and she was able to see its true beauty.

It was constructed mostly of stone, but not a type of stone she recognized. Granite was closest, but this was extremely fine-grained, and she could swear she saw tiny points of gemstones, not just quartz crystals, locked into it. The wood of the doors was close-grained as well, reddish and embellished with gold-leaf carvings of incredible detail and delicacy.

The doors opened as she approached, and she was overwhelmed by sounds of music and brawling, the smell of food cooking, and mead. The atmosphere was joyous, and she entered the doors, pausing at the top of the stairs to look around. It seemed even bigger on the inside than on the outside, with thousands of heroes in all styles of armor and robes.

Oxen roasted on spits over a central fire-pit, while people gathered around heavy-laden tables or wandered around, drinking and issuing or answering challenges. Here and there a storyteller held forth to a fascinated audience, and occasionally a couple formed, heading away from the hall.

Then she was approached by an older but still strong-looking man in ancient Nord armor, a huge battle-axe strapped to his back. He smiled at her. "Welcome, Dragonborn! Our door has stood empty since Alduin first set his soul-snare here. By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not the vale's dark mist. But three await your word to loose their fury upon the perilous foe. Gormlaith the fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the valiant, heavy-handed warrior; Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim."

"The First Tongues, yes," Shanti said. "Witnessing their battle with Alduin taught me Dragonrend. And _they_ want _me_ to lead them into battle with our Foe?"

The warrior smiled at her. "Of course, Dragonborn - who better? You, they, and those who followed you through the mist you cleared, will face Alduin under your leadership. I would be honored to do so, myself, if you permit."

Shanti nodded. "The honor is mine, to lead any judged worthy of this Hall. My birth-name is Shanti."

His smile turned into a grin. "One of my modern Companions, yes. If you are able to return to Mundus, I ask that you take the rest Ysgramor's greetings."

"Ysgramor?" Shanti's voice came out as little more than a squeak. "Yes ... yes, of course!"

"Thank you, Dragonborn," he said mildly, reaching back to pat Wuuthrad's hilt. "Take some time to look around and mingle, if you wish, since it seems your fate does not include returning as one of this blessed company. It would be a shame to deprive you of what you may have of the fellowship, feasting, and songs that we share."

Shanti looked around. This wasn't her idea of an ideal afterlife, despite being raised in the Nord culture, but ... she feared that if she stayed in it very long, she might not want to leave it for the new responsibilities she'd be getting back on Nirn. So she shook her head. "Alduin is devouring souls, out in that mist of his. We should go now, and rescue as many as we are able. Where are the Tongues?"

"There, near the Great Door." Ysgramor gestured to a trio that seemed to radiate anticipation. When the two approached them, Gormlaith raised her sword. "At long last! Alduin's doom is now ours to seal - just speak the word and with high hearts we'll hasten forth to smite the worm wherever he lurks."

Felldir, though, was more cautious. "Hold, comrades - let us counsel take before battle is blindly joined. Alduin's mist is more than a snare - its shadowy gloom is his shield and cloak. But with four voices joined, our valor combined, we can blast the mist and bring him to battle."

Hakon joined in. "Felldir speaks wisdom - the World-Eater, coward, fears you, Dragonborn. We must drive away his mist, Shouting together, and then unsheathe our blades in desperate battle with our black-winged foe."

Shanti nodded acknowledgement, drawing Dragonbane. "To Alduin, then."

Gormlaith laughed, gesturing Shanti toward the door. "To battle, my friends! The fields will echo with the clamor of war, our wills undaunted."

Shanti led the way back across the Whalebone Bridge, careful not to look down, then found what looked like a defensible spot.

"We cannot fight the foe in this mist!" Ysgramor exclaimed.

"Clear Skies, Tongues - combine our Shouts!" Gormlaith suggested.

"Lokvahkeer!" Shanti Shouted, feeling the others join her. The mist vanished, then returned when Alduin Shouted in turn.

"Again!" Gormlaith urged, and again the four Shouted.

And again Alduin replied. "Ven Mul Riik!"

"We can shatter his power if we Shout together!"

The Tongues Shouted again, with the same result - and the same reply.

Hakon swore. "Does his strength have no end? Is our struggle in vain?"

"Stand fast!" Gormlaith called. "His strength is failing! Once more, and his might will be broken!

Felldir agreed. "His power crumbles - do not pause for breath!"

They combined Voices again, and that cleared the skies for the final time. When Alduin appeared, she used Dragonrend, bringing him to the ground. She couldn't get to him before he was airborne again, but some of the others had, and she Shouted him down again. This time, though, she wasn't the only one using that Shout - and there were hundreds, not just Shanti and her team, to engage him while he was vulnerable. She heard Ulfric call them back, though, when Alduin was so badly wounded he was barely able to stand, to give her the honor of the coup de grace. She leaped to the black dragon's head, Dragonbane poised, holding to one horn as she ran the blade through his eye. He fell, and she jumped back to the ground as he collapsed.

It was over, and she felt ... not much, to be honest with herself. She had done very little of the fighting. All she had done was set things up so his true victims - at least some of them - got their proper revenge, then delivered the final blow for them and those who had been unable to take part.

But she was satisfied with that, as Alduin's body exploded, fragments of black flying away to disappear. When it was over, nothing remained, not even the smallest of scales, and she had absorbed nothing. Whatever had happened to Alduin's soul, thank Bormah and Talos she had not had to take it in! For that, she would be forever grateful.

"That was a mighty deed!" Tsun exclaimed, approaching her. "The doom of Alduin encompassed at last, and cleansed is Sovngarde of his evil snare. They will sing of this battle in Shor's hall forever. But your fate lies elsewhere."

She started to protest, but Tsun shook his head. * _The truth is known to those who need it. Let the rest share the legend you must have to carry out the rest of your fate. This has been only the beginning._ *

Shanti sent regretful acceptance, then felt her ear-tips burn as she was cheered.

"All hail the Dragonborn! Hail her with great praise!"

When the cheering stopped, Tsun spoke. "Return now to Nirn, with this rich boon from Shor, my lord: a Shout to bring a hero from Sovngarde in your hour of need. Nahl ... Daal ... Vus!"

* * *

And she was at Monahven, in her usual place near Paarthurnax's Word Wall, with her team around her. She turned to Voranil. "How long?"

"Ten days. For you?"

"Two, maybe three hours. What is happening?"

"I don't know."

Then the dragons spoke, in chorus. "Alduin mahlaan."

A pause, then, "Sahrot thur qahnaraan."

Another pause. "Alduin mahlaan. Dovahkiin los ok dovahkriid."

"Alduin mahlaan. Thu'umii los nahlot."

"Alduin mahlaan. Mu los vomir."

Then Odahviing, alone, Shouted. "Dovahkiin Thuru Strundu'uul!"

What? Shanti was both puzzled and shocked. "He called me their Overlord and Stormcrown!"

Bjorn shrugged. "The Greybeards called you Stormcrown when they acknowledged you. Why is this any different?"

"Because if the others - or at least most of them - agree, I will be the leader of dragonkind, and those who disagree will be shamed or punished into obedience. Not by me, by their fellows."

Another voice Shouted, "Dovahkiin Thuru Strundu'uul!"

"That was Agdurliiv, of Shearpoint."

And again, from others who had allied with her ... and again, until it became a full-throated roar from every dragon at theTiid-Ahraan except Paarthurnax. He looked at her, and she shook her head. "There may be those who accept your teachings rather than my overlordship, Eldest Brother. I would not take you away from that."

Paarthurnax inclined his head. "Strundu'ul, I thank you. I may accept you as Thuri later, but for now, I go to spread the Way of the Voice. Blessings of Bormahu on you and your rule."

He raised his head. "Shout to the skies, dii fronne. We have a true Strundu'ul, and the joorre must know that Alduin has fallen, and Dovahkiin is our new leader."


	41. After Sovngarde

.

Chapter 41 - After Sovngarde

Shanti led the way down Monahven to High Hrothgar when the dovah flew away to spread the word. She felt she owed the Greybeards the first report of her fight, and hoped they might have some information on why Alduin had simply disappeared, with nothing remaining.

All four were waiting when she and her team emerged from Paarthurnax's protective mist through the gateway that kept it from going any lower. All four bowed, but with others around, only Arngeir spoke. "So you were successful, Dovahkiin."

Shanti nodded. "That part of my fate is complete, but Lord Tsun said it was only the beginning. What the rest will be, I only know a tiny part of. But it seems I will not lack for challenges, even counting only the ones I foresee now."

"We know little of the world below," Arngeir reminded her. "Is there anything you wish of us, Dovahkiin?"

"Most definitely," she said firmly, then when he looked worried, she smiled faintly and continued. "I wish you to continue what you have been doing since your founding. Train new Greybeards, teach the Way of the Voice to preserve the peaceful uses of the Thu'um ... and if I may ask something personal, include in your prayers that I be preserved from whatever error or errors led Alduin into his delusions and arrogance."

"To ask is to receive," Arngeir said, sounding relieved. Then he frowned in puzzlement. "What's happening to your armor?"

"What?" Shanti looked down, to see her armor shimmering, the bronze color brightening until it gleamed gold in the late-morning sun. "I do not know, but I hope it is only a color change, not a softening to a metal that is valuable, but absolutely useless as armor!"

"I wouldn't worry," S'Wynn said. "I'd suppose someone - and don't ask me who, I couldn't even guess - wants a bit more acknowledgement of your status. Of course, it'll make it harder sneaking through dungeons, if you plan to do any more of that."

Shanti couldn't help an inelegant snort. "As if my plans have an appreciable amount do do with what actually happens in my life! Planning for tomorrow is problematic, for a week is unlikely, and longer than that ... I have given up even trying."

She shook herself, turning back to Arngeir. "I hate to make such a brief visit, but the defeat of Alduin ... I should report to Jarl Balgruuf, then I _must_ report to General Tullius, and my parents will be worried, even with the dovah reports of my success. I will be returning, of course, and we can speak at length later. By your leave, Master Arngeir?"

"Granted, of course, Strundu'ul." Arngeir smiled gently. "You are welcome any time, Shanti."

"Thank you, Master Arngeir - and the rest of you."

She left through the front door, to find Odahviing waiting. "It is good to see you, fahdoni ... but why are you here? I can teleport to just outside any city I want to go to."

"True, but it will be more impressive if you arrive on dragon-neck, and it will also serve to stress the beginnings of the cooperation you wish to restore." He crouched, extending his wing. "So mount, and I will fly you to the Great Porch of Dragonsreach."

She mounted, followed by the rest. Of course he knew where she wanted to go ... they'd been outdoors, and he'd mentioned earlier that dovah hearing was very good.

* * *

When Odahviing landed on the railing of the Great Porch, Balguuf and a number of others were waiting. From the railing, it would have been awkward for Odahviing to let them use his wing to dismount, so she slid off his shoulder, and bowed to Balgruuf. "My Jarl - you heard the news?"

"It was rather hard to miss, with the dragons roaring it everywhere," Balgruuf replied drily. "'Alduin fallen, Dragonborn Stormcrown Overlord. Rejoice!'" He grinned. "A bit cryptic. Could you expand and explain, perhaps? No one is quite sure if that was promising or ominous."

Shanti hid a groan, then sighed and smiled. "As Farengar will confirm, Dovahzul is a very ... um ... _concise_ language. It tends to leave out words Common considers essential, then uses tone and intent to communicate subtleties. So, while I did not hear the actual Call, I believe I can expand it well enough."

"If I may, Thuri?" Odahviing interrupted politely.

"Go ahead," Shanti told him. It would mean more coming from a dovah anyway.

Odahviing inclined his head to her before turning to Balgruuf. "Greetings, Bronjun. It was very promising, not ominous at all. Though I must caution you that there will be a few fanatics who will refuse to follow her; man, mer, or dov, there are always rebels."

"And outlaws," Balgruuf agreed with a chuckle. "So what was actually meant?"

"Grant us that we were trying to get across a basic message, not a full explanation, which will probably come from your bards, once Strundu'ul has spoken with her mother," Odahviing said. "The message: 'Alduin has fallen to Dovahkiin, who has thus proven herself true Stormcrown and our Overlord. This is something to cause rejoicing for all.'"

"Yes, that's a lot clearer," Balgruuf said. "Thank you, Odahviing - I'll make sure it gets around; it'll be a big help, at least until Lady Ko'Adanji composes a ballad. Once that happens, it'll spread automatically."

"And we would ask something of you," Odahviing said. "We hear that Whiterun has one of the foremost jewelry-smiths in what is left of Talos' empire."

"We do indeed," Balgruuf said, his pride showing. "Eorlund Gray-Mane is expert at both steel- and jewel-smithing. What would you like him to make?"

"This may be difficult to explain," Odahviing said. "We dovah do not need physical symbols of social position, but we know that joorre - excuse me, vodov - do, which is why we had masks made for our favored priests. So we would like to have a physical crown made for our Stormcrown."

Shanti groaned, but didn't object, and Balguuf smiled. "That would seem appropriate, yes - she must rank at least with a Jarl or High King, so I'll ask him. He'll want paid, of course."

"Of course. Vodov always do, understandably. Find out what he wishes, and we will do our best to oblige." He paused briefly. "But you underestimate her position, Bronjun Balgruuf. In dovah terms, as Thursedov - Overlord of Dragonkind - she ranks just below the Divines." He paused again, snorting a chuckle. "Contrary to Alduin's delusions, neither he nor we are gods. But she is our Father's Chosen, and we honor her for that as well as for her conquest of Alduin."

Balgruuf gulped at that. "So it our terms, at least on a par with the Emperor, then." He turned to Shanti, who was feeling dumfounded. This wasn't anything like she'd expected.

It took her several seconds to process what Odahviing had said, then realize nothing she could say would change that dovah evaluation. She would simply have to accept it, and work out some way to cope. That line from _Song of the Dragonborn_ should have given her a clue, but perhaps she'd been too mentally blind to notice ...

She had to find a way to answer Balgruuf. "I do not feel so," she said at last, slowly. "But I cannot deny my vahriinne's feelings, either, so I suppose I must have some sort of crown. Though if Eorlund does not wish to make it, I suppose my own smithing could manage something acceptable."

Balgruuf smiled at her. "He will, I'm sure. Having someone else make the symbolic Stormcrown for the actual one? Divines, he would explode!"

"Perhaps." Shanti hadn't gotten that impression in her admittedly-brief interactions with the Companions' smith, but she could be mistaken. "I ... I have told you the news, which you already knew, but ... I feel I ought to tell General Tullius in person as well, and ... and my parents, of course."

"Go, then, my friend. I'll take care of things here."

* * *

As Shanti had realized was true of every city she'd seen, there was no good place for Odahviing to land inside the city itself, so he did so outside the gates, then settled to the ground like a large scarlet cat. "I will remain here unless I am attacked, Thuri," he said. "Those of us sworn to you must begin to demonstrate our ... ummm ... lack of hostility to most vodov."

He looked up at the guards on the wall above the gates. "Drem yol lok, kendovve. Odahviing greets you, and honors your courage."

They looked startled, then one called back, "Dunno what the first part means, but ... Olaf Nine-finger returns your greetings, and ... uh ... thanks you for carrying the Dragonborn."

A second nodded. "But you said most vodov, which I'm guessing means non-dragons? Anyway, what vodov are you hostile to? I mean, we need to know to do our jobs."

Odahviing glanced at Shanti. "May I tell her, Thuri?"

"Go ahead; I'll be telling General Tullius within a few minutes anyway."

"Then you are correct, kendov - vodov is an intelligent non-dragon. And most are now, thanks to Shanti Strundu'ul, under our protection. That excludes bandits and the like, unless they are attacking Thalmor."

"So you'd protect bandits from Thalmor?"

"Not precisely. Say rather that we would not protect the Thalmor from the bandits. We can go no further without Strundu'ul's permission."

That got laughter from all the guards, as a pair of them opened the gates for Shanti and her team. "Gorgeous armor," one of them commented as she passed, and she turned to smile at him before continuing on her way to Castle Dour.

Solitude was even more of a crowded scramble than she was used to, until people began seeing the gold armored figure followed by two in bronze and a Khajiit in mage robes. Then they made way spontaneously, and the rest of the trip was easy.

As usual, General Tullius was in his war room, with Rikke and her father nearby. When she was announced, everyone's attention went to her, but military discipline ruled; it was Tullius who approached her. "Legate Shanti ... it's over? Alduin is really dead?"

She nodded. "Yes and no. He is really dead - or at least nothing of his body remained, and I was not forced to absorb his soul, thank Akatosh!"

"So it is over."

"Only that part," Shanti said. "The world will continue to exist, now, so its other problems will as well. Such as the usual bandits, necromancers, werewolves ... I am sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh, the Legion will always be needed," Tullius said. "And not just for what you mentioned. But what about you? What will you do now that Alduin's gone?"

"I am hoping to go to Solstheim and eliminate a Dragonborn Dragon Priest named Miraak who has been sending his cultists to try to kill me. The dovah know him as the Traitor, because he betrayed and murdered a large number of them, so that is a high priority for me. I have also been invited to join the Dawnguard vampire hunters. Assuming, that is, that the Thalmor give me time to do either before starting the next Great War."

Tullius nodded. "There's always that, yes. Do you have any idea how the dragons feel about them, and what they'll do when the war starts?"

"Oh, I do indeed, sir," Shanti managed to get out before she could no longer suppress a chuckle. "You remember Odahviing's reaction to the Thalmor who first confronted me here?"

Tullius laughed. "I do indeed. So they'll be on our side? Or at least yours?"

"Most definitely. Later, I had to tell Odahviing just why the Thalmor prohibit worship of Talos, and ... well, he had to be discouraged from starting a war then and there, for insulting our Father Akatosh."

"Because they don't believe a man can be raised to become a Divine?" Rikke asked.

"Precisely," Shanti agreed. "In denying that, they deny Father Akatosh's power, and that, to a dovah, is the greatest insult conceivable. So I have no doubt that they will fight with us when the Thalmor next attack."

"Which is good," Tullius said. "But more immediately, Jarl Elisif is planning a major celebration for tomorrow afternoon and evening. You must've noticed the beginning of the preparations."

"Is that why the heavier crowds? I fear I ... was not paying very close attention. But if that is the case, I definitely must speak to my mother as soon as possible. I know bards too well to trust another to compose the official version of that battle!"

Tullius laughed. "An excellent point, even when the subject is far less notable than the Dragonborn, or far less important than a battle for the very existence of the world. So yes, you do need to do that. Will you be going to the College?"

Shanti thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I would prefer not to, sir. If I may ask a favor, could you send one of your men there to ask her to join me at Proudspire Manor?"

"Certainly. S'Jherek, you're off the rest of the day, as soon as you carry out the Dragonborn's request."

S'Jherek grinned. "Thank you, sir. I'm on my way."

"And so are you, Legate." Tullius smiled. "Go rest, and whatever else you have to do. I'll see you again tomorrow."

* * *

Shanti heaved a sigh of relief when she entered Proudspire Manor. Voranil and Bjorn had decided to stay at Castle Dour and catch up on gossip, and S'Wynn had told her he wished to renew his acquaintance with La'Nashi, which had made her smile. Those two seemed made for each other!

Darius was reading, and looked up when she entered, then put down his book and stood to embrace her. "Shanti - you're all right! It was so long ... everyone was worried."

"I am fine, and is that slaughterfish chowder I smell?"

"It is indeed - I started it as soon as the dragons announced your victory. I hope it'll be satisfactory for the conqueror of Alduin World-Eater!"

Shanti laughed. "Of course it will! But the smell also reminds me of something I forgot earlier. A bit ago, we stayed at Nightgate Inn before and after getting the Word at Ironbound Barrow, and the cook there asked me to remember him to you. Balagog gro-Nolob - ? His slaughterfish chowder tasted much like yours, and his jerky was excellent as well."

Darius laughed. "You've met Bal? Yeah, he's a wonderful cook. Probably the best I've ever met, and I think it a privilege to have been able to study with him."

"It seems a waste to leave him in a remote place like Nightgate Inn, so I told him that if he ever wishes another position, I will happily hire him, and guarantee his privacy, at OfanseBalgruuf."

"It is, yes, and if he believes you about being able to guarantee his privacy, he may decide to join you." He paused, smiling. "I hope he does. It'd be good for both of you."

"I agree, but ... the choice is his, and I will not push him."

Darius chuckled. "It would backfire if you did! So what's next?"

"I tell Mums, Dad, and of course you all about the battle. She has to be the one to write Alduin's Downfall ... she is the only one I trust to get it mostly accurate, though even she may feel she has to emphasize my role."

"So you won't be wanting a full midday meal, then, if it's going to be tale-telling and composing." Darius smiled. "You'll want to use the dinner-table, though, and that much talking can get thirsty. I'll set up cold meats, breads, and cheeses while you change into something more comfortable."

* * *

By the time Shanti had groomed herself and changed into a house-robe, her parents were home, and the table was ready, so the four settled down and S'Jherek led them in the prayer of thanks-for-food. Then Ko'Adanji smiled. "So you want me to be the one to compose your song, darling. Any bard would kill for that honor, and I thought Viarmo might be considering it when your father came to get me. We were terribly worried when you were gone so long."

"Yes ... Voranil said it was ten days, on this side." Shanti hesitated. "In ... in Sovngarde, it was no more than three hours. Possibly only two." She saw Darius open his mouth to speak, and shook her head. "Do not ask, please."

She shut her eyes, knowing she'd have to say _something_ about it. Not doing so, when everyone knew she'd had to go there to destroy Alduin, would be not just unfair, but wrong.

"It is ... everything the priests say about it, and more. I truly do not have the words to describe it. Once Alduin's mists were cleared ... the hills and fields are green and lush, the mountains tall and snow-capped, the rivers clear and either meandering or swift, depending on location. The sky is bright, rippling with color even during the day, and may be even more glorious at night, if that ever falls. Though I have the impression that both daily and yearly cycles exist, because Nords would be unhappy without them."

"The Hall of Valor?" Darius asked softly.

"Ah, yes. It is huge, with tables food-laden, fountains of wine, mead, and ale. Songs and stories, battles great-hearted, wounds healed instantly afterward. Boasting, of course, not only of war, but fishes and trophies ... " She paused, and grinned at him. "Handsome men conquered, beautiful women seduced ... it is everything any Nord could wish."

She sobered. "Not just the warriors, but all Nords who strive for honorable lives. Not all in the Hall of Valor, of course. A farmer or shepherd would dislike it there, and women who die in childbirth, or children who die before they are able to choose good or evil ... Sovngade is for all honorable Nords, or those of Nord mindset. As the other Aetheric realms are for the honorable ones of their races."

There was quiet for a bit, then Ko'Adanji said softly, "That should be sung as well, in a different song. But this is for Shanti's story, which I must have composed by no later than mid-afternoon tomorrow. So." She turned to her daughter. "Exactly what happened, darling?"

"Nothing all that dramatic, really." Shanti shrugged. "Odahviing landed us on Skuldafn's rear plaza, near Alduin's portal to Sovngarde. We fought his personal Dragon Priest, Nahkriin. Then I used his staff to open the portal to Sovngarde." She hesitated, then sighed before continuing.

"I used Clear Skies to find the way to the Hall of Valor, joined on the way by Stormcloaks, Legionnaires, and some civilians. Ulfric Stormcloak and his housecarl were there, among many others seeking to evade Alduin. We heard him in the distance, but he never approached the cleared area, so we arrived at the Whalebone Bridge to the Hall of Valor, where I was challenged by Tsun. He wanted to know by what right I, a living person, claimed entry.

"It was after I answered and took his first blow that I got the idea my presence was ... necessary, but only as a catalyst or formality. I had used Fus on him with no effect, then tried to block his battle-axe blow with my mace, and got knocked tail-over-ears, to a most undignified landing. Fortunately for my peace of mind, no one laughed.

"I remember apologizing for being an unfit opponent, and he told me it was spirit, not size, that mattered in those realms. I used Yol and Qo on him, and he decided that proved my fitness to enter Shor's Hall.

"Inside, I was welcomed by Ysgramor, who told me I would lead the three First Tongues into battle against Alduin, and asked to join us."

"Ysgramor?" Darius exclaimed. "THE Ysgramor? Head of the 500 Companions?"

"Well, yes. And he offered to let me stay as long as I wished, but that my fate led me elsewhere and I would not return. So I chose to depart the Hall and face Alduin. I led him, Gormlaith, Falldir, and Hakon out into the mist.

"We four Tongues cleared the mist several times, until Alduin could no longer refresh it, then used Dragonrend to bring him to ground, where he was vulnerable to injury and death."

Shanti shrugged. "And that was the end of it. Dragonrend, Shouted by four, kept him on the ground until hundreds of his potential victims were able to bring him down. They honored me with the final strike, Dragonbane through an eye into his brain. And so I fulfilled the prophecy.

"But." Shanti stood, turning to face her mother directly. "Do you understand, Mums? Had Shor not prevented them, the original Tongues and the Heroes of Sovngarde could have defeated Alduin. They did not need me, except perhaps as a symbol. There was nothing of his body left, not even a tiny scale, and I did not - thank all the Divines - devour his soul. So ... a Dragonborn was not necessary."

"Not to kill Alduin, perhaps," S'Jherek said. "But to prevent him from reviving, perhaps? Or to drive his soul out of Sovngarde, the only place it was possible to actually kill him, so it couldn't rejoin his body?" He shrugged. "The Divines intervene openly so rarely that I cannot believe a major intervention like a Dragonborn would be anything other than critical."

* _He is absolutely correct, Dovahkiin,_ * Mulventoor told her. * _I have known only two of you, though I know from your memories that there have been others. Both you and the Traitor were born specifically to confront Alduin. He refused, forcing the Tongues to use a Kel to throw him forward in time to face the Last Dragonborn. And the one just before you became the Divine Talos. No, Bormahu does not send Dragonborns lightly, Thuri. You were essential to Alduin's defeat, never doubt that. And now you are essential to replace him._ *

"Yes ... all right." Shanti turned to her father. "Mulventoor agrees with you, Dad. I ... might be able to disagree with someone verbally, but when it is another soul sharing my body, that is ... difficult. So yes, I was and am essential. While neither of us can confirm _why_ I was necessary for Alduin's defeat, your theory is as good as any."

"Then I'll work that in," Ko'Adanji said. "You do know that even if I wanted to, darling, I couldn't make your role less than central - nobody would accept it. The Dragonborn has been too large a part of Skyrim history and tradition for too long."

Shanti sighed. "I do know, Mums, but please, do not slight the First Tongues, or Ysgramor, or the soldiers on both sides of the war who did most of the work. I did not recognize any of the Legion officers, but both Ulfric Stormcloak and Galmar fought valiantly."

"I won't, darling. But why don't you work on your journal here, while I start my first draft. Your description was rather sketchy, and I'm sure I'll need to ask you for more details."

"All right, Mums."


	42. Celebration

.

Chapter 42 - Celebration

Breakfast the next morning was as much shuffling papers as eating, at least as far as Shanti and Ko'Adanji were concerned. The men concentrated on their food, for the most part, until the women were done, and Ko'Adanji stood decisively. "All right, I need to get down to the College. For the celebration, this is going to need more than a capella or a simple lute accompaniment. There isn't time for a full choral arrangement, but at least a trio would be better than a solo." She smiled at her daughter. "Your tale will get the full treatment later, darling - neither the College nor the people would settle for less, though most will have to live with single-bard renditions, for the most part."

"And I need to get up to the Castle," S'Jherek said, also standing. "With the crowds we expect, and the Thalmor less than happy about Alduin being stopped, security's going to be a nightmare."

"Ah, when will you need me, and what should I wear?" Shanti hastened to ask.

"Oh!" Ko'Adanji chuckled. "Yes ... sorry for getting distracted, dear. You do need to know that, don't you? All right, you'll need to be on the Blue Palace balcony with me and Jarl Elisif at two hours after noon. And since this is to be in honor of your defeat of Alduin, you should wear what you were wearing at the time."

"Which includes armor, I assume," S'Jherek said.

"Of course it did, Dad ... and Dragonbane, my mace, and a dragonbone dagger."

"Good." He turned to her bodyguard. "You three come with your best armor and weapons as well. You're to be close to Shanti at all times. I don't really expect anything bad to happen at this kind of celebration, but ... well, my job does require a certain amount of paranoia."

"We'll be ready, sir," Voranil assured him.

XX

When her parents had left, Shanti turned to Voranil. "What did you find at Skuldafn? Is it usable?"

"Not without a lot of repair and remodeling," the Altmer replied. "It's been abandoned for a long time, and weather has taken its toll, along with wild animals. Maybe adventurers, too, before the tunnel from Mzulft collapsed. Some areas aren't too bad, but most of it ... draugr aren't much for performing maintenance." He shrugged. "Not worth the effort, if everything and everyone has to travel by dragon."

"Unfortunate. I will need a place suitable for my vahrinne as a headquarters. Labyrinthian was built over Bromjunaar, but after that city was essentially demolished."

"You'll want to visit Skuldafn, though," Bjorn said. "There's a Word Wall just before we got to the back plaza, and while most of the interior's a mess, that area's not too bad."

"But not what I need, either." Shanti said. "I am trying to promote cooperation, which would seem to mean a city designed for both dov and vodov."

"With respect, Dragonborn, you're wrong," Bjorn said.

Shanti looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You're a city girl, so you underestimate country folk. Dragons don't bother us, we won't bother them. If they want to trade and it'something we have for something we want and they have, it'll happen. Divines, we have plenty of game they can go after, rather than us and our cattle, and I doubt they'd be interested in our personal possessions. They want to perch somewhere like a mountaintop or old ruin, what's that to a farmer?"

* _Valid points_ ,* Mulventoor said. * _What would an elk be worth, in trade? Vodov-raised cattle, with their additional fat, are tastier and more tender_.*

Shanti passed the question along, and chuckled at the reply. "Elk are nice, and you could probably get a one-for-one trade, but if you're willing to go after bears or especially saber-cats, you might be able to get a better deal from a herder who's been losing cattle to them. Maybe not two-for one, but ... um, maybe two cattle for three or four predators." Bjorn grinned. "We have to raise the cattle from birth, after all, and a bear or saber-cat shouldn't be much of a problem for a dovah."

* _So why one for one for an elk_?* Mulventoor's thought was curious. * _They are simpler than a predator_.*

Shanti passed that along, and grinned again when Bjorn replied. "The elk has more meat and less fat, so it's easier to preserve for over the winter. Not as tasty, maybe, but along about Sun's Dawn or First Seed, we're more worried about quantity than quality."

* _Ah, yes. But with you as thur, and what I remember about Alduin's earliest rule, Skyrim's winter food problems can be alleviated. Lairing or hunting privileges - and Skyrim has the best of both, for our tastes - can be traded for transport of food from warmer climes. Though they will still have to pay for the food._ *

"Those details can be worked out later," Shanti said. "Though it is wonderful that Skyrim may be able to import other foods, especially when nothing fresh here is available. In the meantime, it sounds like we will be free until perhaps an hour and a half after noon, perhaps we can spend the morning clearing up a few minor things. I would like to see more of Skuldafn for myself, and take advantage of the Word Wall you found, then I should probably speak with Paarthurnax, if he is available."

XX

After a tour of Skuldafn, Shanti found herself agreeing with her team's evaluation. Even without draugr roaming around - they'd taken care of those, and with the skills to create draugr lost eras ago, they wouldn't be back - Skuldafn was, in technical terms, a mess. Outside, weather had caused the destruction of a couple of what seemed to have been guard towers, and erosion of - dragon perches?

Inside, there were collapsed walls and other rubble. Not weather-caused, obviously, so Shanti could only assume Shouting by high-level draugr was the culprit. Whatever it was, though, with the passage from Mzulft blocked, the logistics were impossible, and would be difficult even if that passage were cleared.

Once she got the Storm Call Word from the Word Wall and exited to the rear plaza, she sighed. Getting the Word was a good thing, granted, but that was the only current value Skuldafn had for her.

* _Since this will not serve your purposes_ ,* Mulventoor suggested, * _why not ask Odahviing if he has seen anything that might be suitable for a dragon gathering.? You have a home, but I know of only one city structure designed of a dovah, and that can accommodate only one_.*

"Dragonsreach, yes - one of the old barrows, perhaps? "

* _Perhaps. Why not call him and find out?_ *

"A good idea," Shanti agreed, and called for her second-in-command and friend.

When he arrived, she explained why Skuldafn wouldn't work for what she had in mind. "So would you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm. A barrow is a possibility, yes, but while I have never been inside one, I would suspect most are in similar disrepair. But I can think of one place that might fit your needs, if you do not insist on a barrow. Arcwind Point is a valley with several perches built in the center, and plenty of natural perches around those. There is a Word Wall there as well, and several structures that I doubt are intact, or even usable, after so many years." He crouched, extending a wing. "Mount, and I will show you."

The four did so, and moments later, he was circling for a landing, and Shanti caught her breath at the vista below them. When they landed and dismounted, so she could make herself heard, she turned to Odahviing. "This looks perfect! Plenty of room for dovah, and if I stand in front of the Word Wall, anything I say will be focused toward those on the perches. Mums would be envious."

Odahviing cocked his head. "Really? Why?"

"It's a natural amphitheater," Voranil replied. When the dovah seemed to frown, he continued. "An amphitheater is a place for performing, with a stage for the performers that tries to focus their singing or dialogue toward the audience. It usually looks like a sort of bowl, like the Arena in Imperial City if you know of that, but with the focus on the stage, not the center."

"Ah, yes. Most of us would not recognize the reference, but I served Tiber Septim under an assumed name, and survived the Blades long enough to see the Imperial City built around the White Gold Tower." He paused, and gaped a smile. "I shall have to bring her out here, to see if it would be suitable for performances. Vodov have little we consider valuable, you know."

Bjorn frowned. "What about gold, or gems? We can trade practically anything else for those."

Odahviing sighed, then rose to his haunches, spreading his wings. "Look at me, small one. Your coins and jewels are small even to you, and valuable possibly because of that, but ... I cannot handle them. However, I can remember, very clearly, and repeat in memory whenever I wish, a well-sung song or well-told tale. Even a book, well-read, that I have heard before, would be acceptable payment for a service."

"Umm." Bjorn frowned. "That leaves a lot of us out, if we aren't particularly creative, at least in those ways. Let me think, maybe talk to a few friends, all right?"

"Certainly. Thuru wishes cooperation, so we are willing to listen. But whatever you wish to trade must take some rather obvious differences into consideration, such as our lack of hands, and purely outdoor existence."

"We will," Bjorn said. He grinned. "Creativity is most noticeable in what you've mentioned, but when there's something we vodov want, we can usually figure out some way to get it. It just may take us a bit of time to work out the best way."

"Yes, I remember. It was one of your most valuable yet annoying abilities, back when we ruled."

Bjorn laughed. "We Nords, at least, have always been a pain to those who rule us against our will, so that's hardly surprising. But I may need to talk to other dovah, to get different points of view. Is that possible?"

"Certainly. If you do not wish to have Dovahkiin summon one of us, put out a brightly-colored cloth - red would probably be best, as it is easy to see from height - and you will be visited."

"Good. I have a couple of ideas, but they need to simmer for a bit."

XX

Haafingar Stormcloak Camp:

"Apologies for being late General," Rodryn called as his horse quickly closed the distance between them. "But there were a few complications on my way here." He continued, emphasizing the last part by tossing on the ground a standard- issue Thalmor helmet.

Tullius looked at the helmet warily. Normally he couldn't care less if some Thalmor soldiers died, but if these soldiers were escorting a Justiciar, which they most likely were, it would only be a matter of time before Elenwen came down from the Embassy and started demanding answers. "You also killed the Justiciar?" Tullius eventually asked.

"Forgive me if I'm being a bit blunt, General, but there is still a lot I have to do today," Rodryn said. "So if we could just skip to why we're here."

Tullius grunted, slightly annoyed by the Breton's refusal to answer as he opened his saddlebag and pulled out a leather cannister. "The Emperor has agreed that neither you nor your organization will be held responsible for any crimes you have committed nor for any you will commit until the Thalmor are dealt with. The Empire will also try to supply you with whatever you may need to fight the Thalmor so long as it is reasonable."

Rodryn quietly hummed to himself. "And the compensation for the men I may lose?"

"No," Tullius answered as he shook his head. "A thousand septims is simply too much. If you'd asked two hundred then he would've accepted your terms."

Rodryn chuckled to himself. "So if I now ask for two hundred we'll have a deal?"

"Yes," Tullius answered.

"And I suppose that if I ask for more I'll get a no for an answer?" When Tullius nodded Rodryn couldn't stop himself from laughing. "All right, General, you can tell your Emperor he has a deal."

XX

After a quick tour of other possible gathering spots, Shanti had decided that Arcwind Point was the best, but if the Bards College was going to use it for performances, it would need some reconstruction of the outbuildings so they could be used for prop and costume storage. Still, that could be handled later, so she asked Odahviing to fly her to the Solitude gate.

When she entered, even with her team behind her, she was tempted to retreat and ask Odahviing to fly her to Windstad Manor so she could work on her alchemy, or smithing, or maybe just help Valdimar with cleaning the whole place up.

But she couldn't. Mums said she'd have to join Jarl Elisif on the Blue Palace balcony, so she made the trek - usually an easy walk - from the main gate to the Blue Palace at the far end of the city, on the Arch over the entrance to Solitude Harbor.

The Palace was a beautiful view from Windstad Manor's enchanting-tower roof, especially at sunrise, but when all you could see was tiny bits between people in a crowd, it was far less imposing or attractive.

Once they noticed her, people made way, but it was slow going, and by the time she made it to the main doors, where the area was being kept clear, she was thinking she should have allowed herself more time. Still, she did make it up to the Throne Room, where Elisif and her court, plus Ko'Adanji, were waiting.

"Problems, Dragonborn?" Elisif asked, looking concerned.

"Ah, nothing major, my Jarl ... but the crowds were much larger than I expected, so the trip from the city gates took twice as long as usual. I love Solitude and her people, but ... at the moment, I feel overwhelmed." A bit more real solitude would be nice, actually, but if she could make it through the afternoon and evening, things would probably get back to normal. Or at least she hoped so.

Elisif smiled. "Of course you do - perhaps the way I felt when Torygg announced our engagement. Try thinking of it as giving joy to the people you care for." She paused and grinned. "And perhaps the opposite to some Skyrim would prefer to be rid of. I had a bit of difficulty persuading Elenwyn she and her Thalmor would be ... less than welcome, and would certainly have no official presence for it."

"Thank you, my Jarl!" Shanti made no secret of her relief. "I wish Balgruuf could be here, though. He has been a strong support ever since I reported Alduin's arrival to him, and this should honor him as much as me, since without that, I am not sure I - "

She broke off as a strong arm went around her shoulders. "Of course you could, Dovahkiin!" Balgruuf said. "The only honor I want is to place the Stormcrown on your head when the proper time comes. I've aready received the honor of Britgrahreg offering to fly me here for your celebration." He paused. "It was ... a bit unsettling, but I managed. Man is not meant to move so swiftly, or so ... erratically. Still, it's time for the official celebration to begin."

He extended an arm to her, and she took it, the pair of them following Elisif to the balcony. The plaza below was packed, and she gulped. Divines forbid she should have to give a speech! She might have been raised by a Bard, but that didn't mean _she_ was a performer.

She heard the thunder of dragon wings, and felt the wind of a landing above her. Glancing up, she saw Odahviing settling on the roof, which was reassuring. And when she looked back, it seemed like the crowd in front of the palace had doubled in size, and she winced inwardly.

Elisif introduced her, which meant she'd have to say something. That was more frightening than walking into a barrow-full of draugr, and she was glad fur and armor hid her expression from those below.

"I am Shanti. Many of you know me, since I grew up here. I am still the same person, despite the songs and tales that will be sung and told of me, so if I may ask it, remember me as the person, not the legend." She sighed, reasonably sure that wouldn't happen - and that many who knew her would try to take advantage of that, in some way. "But I have told Bard Ko'Adanji my complete experience, and she has composed a more eloquent ballad than any tale I could tell. As one would expect from a mother's tale of her child, it exaggerates somewhat ... but not too badly."

That got laughter from the crowd below, and Ko'Adanji stepped forward holding her lute. "Faint praise, but only to be expected from one with a proud parent. I give you the Ballad of Alduin's Downfall."

Shanti did her best to listen only to the music, rather than the words, and the music was wonderful, even with as little group practice as the players had had. Applause was thunderous when the song ended, which Shanti appreciated on her mother's behalf. But then speeches began again, and despite the subject matter, they were nothing more than the conventional words said for anyone who had done something exceptional. She let her mind drift, bored by the phrases she'd heard said for so many others, until Elisif said the magic words: "And now celebrate the Dragonborn! Food and drink await, in honor of the life she has given us and the souls she has saved from extinction in Sovngarde!"

As more cheers erupted and people moved away to food and drink stands, Shanti followed the rest into the entry hall, where she spotted her lifesaver, and joined him when an eddy in the crowd let her get close. "Rodryn! It is good to see you again. I hope I did not sound or look too stupid up there. I am ... not a politician or public speaker."

"You did fine up there Dragonborn," Rodryn said smiling. "A bit too humble if you ask me, but fine none the less."

Shanti returned his smile, then shrugged. "Mother's song was mostly accurate, though she did somewhat overstate my role - as I fear others will to to a far greater degree! It did take all four of us Tongues to clear Alduin's mists, then keep him grounded long enough for him to be weakened enough that I could get on his head for the final blow. That will be the official ballad, but - " She broke off to grimace."I am sure, though, that before long there will be versions that have me facing and killing him single-handed, bards trying to 'improve' Mother's tale by having me doing something not even Talos could do, because the Dragonborn who faced him had to be alive."

Rodryn snickered. "Oh, I can already hear the stories claiming you defeated Alduin using only your vast knowledge in the art of Rawlith Khaj and wearing nothing more than some loincloths for protection" he said, finishing with a laugh as he undoubtedly imagined said scene unfold.

Shanti winced, then chuckled. "You are probably correct ... as long as they leave me a breastband and loincloth, I suppose I should be content. I am not familiar with Rawlith Khaj, however - is it some sort of Breton martial art?"

"It's a Khajiit martial art," Rodryn answered, seeming to be only slightly surprised at hearing her ask if it was of Breton origin. "One of at least four, if I'm not mistaken."

"It seems rather obvious you know far more of Khajiit culture and language than I do," Shanti said with a rueful laugh. "When you greeted me in Ta'agra in Whiterun, your greeting and my response exhausted my knowledge of that language. Now if you wanted to carry on tinvaak in Dovahzul, a language I am quite fluent in ... but my family has lived in Skyrim for three generations, so I am culturally far more Nord than Khajiit."

"I suppose I do know a few things," He said humbly as he briefly overlooked the crowd. "You never thought of asking the caravans about Khajiiti culture and language? Or perhaps even joining them for some time? I can assure you it's quite the experience."

Shanti sighed, shaking her head. "I did think about it as a child, of course. The thrill of the exotic, you understand. But I fear I was brought up as a very proper little girl, by a respectable Legion officer and Bard, so it never went beyond rebellious thoughts. The closest I came was sneaking out the gates to see a caravan. I went home with a small four-sided top I was given by one of the caravan women, but never dared show anyone, since I had gotten it by disobeying my parents." She gave him a side-glance. "I was usually obedient, but I suppose any child can be forgiven a brief aberration."

"Then why not now?" Rodryn asked before he gestured at the people and festivities around them. "You defeated the World-Eater himself, Dragonborn. Any caravan would gladly have you and I doubt anyone would say you don't deserve some time to spend as you please."

Shanti looked around, and her ears went back in irritation. Not at Rodryn, at the press of people she didn't know. "That sounds pleasant, relatively peaceful and away from crowds, once I am less of a target. It is very annoying to have to be prepared to fight off Miraak's cultists or the new type of vampire, not to mention Thalmor trying to carry out the execution order on me. The first two, at least, I must see to first, since it seems wrong to expose anyone to their danger unneccessarily. But next time I encounter a caravan ... yes, I believe I will sound them out about their feelings on the matter of having me as a guest for a time, once those assassination dangers are past."

It did sound like an attractive prospect, she thought. Not a high priority, and it might even have to wait until after the Second Great War to eliminate the chance of her presence bringing down a Thalmor attack on the caravan hosting her, which would be a very poor return for their hospitality. But when circumstances allowed, she decided, she would definitely take Rodryn's advice.


	43. Summons from the Emperor

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Chapter 43 - Summons From the Emperor

Shanti had avoided most of the later parties, managing to get to bed before midnight, and she'd definitely managed to avoid more than a token amount of alcohol, mostly by appearing to sip a bit before someone gave her more, or unobtrusively spilling it, or a combination of the two, so when she woke shortly after dawn, she was only a bit tired, and definitely ready for the day.

Now that Alduin was gone, her most important foe - at least according to the dragons - was Miraak the Traitor. Once he was taken care of, she could concentrate on those who had insulted Bormah. Some thought those priorities should be reversed, and since both had sent people to kill her - as had the vampires - she had no strong opinions on which she should go against first. In her estimation, the Thalmor should come last, since the longer they could put off the Second Great War, the stronger the Empire could become, which was all to the good.

Not that the Empire was perfect - no mortal government could be. But it was better than the Stormcloaks had been, and far better than the Thalmor, who wanted to either kill or enslave everyone who wasn't Thalmor, or at least elven. So when she left Proudspire Manor to find an Imperial Messenger waiting, the only part that irritated her was that it probably meant another delay in going after Miraak or the vampires.

"Dragonborn?" he asked, even though she was a very distinctive figure in her golden-scale armor.

"I am," she replied. "How may I serve the Empire?"

His deliberately-impassive expression couldn't conceal a trace of relief as he handed her an envelope. "His Majesty summons you to a private audience at your earliest convenience. I am to assure you this document is simply traditional wording, but he would like to see you as soon as possible."

"I will comply, of course. When are his private audiences?"

"Immediately after breakfast and lunch, Dragonborn. The eighth and thirteenth hours after midnight."

Shanti glanced at the sun's position. "It is too late to get there for this morning's audience, but I can easily be there for the afternoon one. Will that be satisfactory?"

He stared at her. "Ah ... this afternoon? In the center of Cyrodiil?"

Shanti chuckled. "I am not restricted to foot or horse, so yes. I will be flying. Is that a problem?"

"It shouldn't be, Dragonborn. Cyrodiil was told of your victory by the dragons, and they didn't attack anyone even on low passes. If you want to land in the Imperial City, though, it'll have to be in the Arena."

"So I have been informed, by the dovah I will be riding." Shanti hesitated. "Would you know what I should wear? Or what an Imperial audience involves? I am unfamiliar with either Cyrodiilic or non-Legion Imperial customs and courtesies, but I somehow doubt a provincial adventurer - which I believe is how I will be seen there, since I have heard the rest of the Empire is less than familiar with our tales of the Dragonborn - would be welcome armed and armored."

"Probably not," the messenger agreed. "Your best clothing for the trip, or maybe your Legion armor, since I understand you're a retired Legate. Or since you're a Priestess of Akatosh, clerical robes are always appropriate. As for the audience, I can't say, but I'm sure there will be a protocol officer to advise you."

"Hmm. Perhaps wear my Legion armor for the flight, carry my best dress and my scale armor, and go by the protocol officer's recommendation as to which would be most suitable for the audience itself."

"That would be more than suitable, ma'am," the Messenger said.

* * *

As soon as he'd left, Shanti went up to Castle Dour to inform General Tullius of her most recently changed plans, finding him, as usual, in the map room. He looked a little the worse for wear, as did Rikke, and she hid a smile, grateful that she'd been careful at the party.

He greeted her normally enough, though. "Good morning, Dragonborn. Are you going to be taking it easy for a while, now that Alduin's dead?"

"Relatively so," Shanti said. "I was thinking last night that this would be a good time to take care of a Thalmor slaving ring operating from the _Orphan's Star_ wreck and a nearby cave, close to Fort Hraggstad - it should not be difficult - but there was an Imperial Messenger waiting when I left the house this morning. His Majesty wishes to see me at my earliest convenience, so the slavers will have to wait a bit longer."

"Wait - a Thalmor slaver ring, operating near one of our forts?" Tullius scowled, his tone angry. "Dammit, the Concordat outlawed Talos worship, so I have to officially overlook Thalmor abuses, and I can't investigate what goes on in their prisons, but the Empire hasn't allowed slavery in centuries. How do you know this?"

"One of the Keepers of Hattu, the people who are rebuilding Helgen, was captured, taken to the Thalmor prison south of Fort Neugrad, and tortured. When he was rescued, he reported that some of his guards had mentioned excessive prisoner turnover, and his suspicions of slavery. I was asked to investigate, and discovered it was true. The ring is headed by Aerandil, who I believe asked to be assigned to Skyrim as head of the Thalmor prison system. The prisoners are staged from the Orphan's Tear Mine, where they are guarded by a large group of bandits."

Tullius looked at her consideringly. "I have a feeling there are things here you aren't telling me, Dragonborn - things I probably shouldn't know, so I thank you for that." He turned to Rikke. "Check into these bandits, Legate. In force, and rescue any prisoners, regardless of the opposition. If there are Thalmor involved, given how compulsive they are about record-keeping, I'm sure you'll find documentation proving this is a private commercial, rather than a Concordat-enforcement, operation."

Rikke smiled grimly. "I'll get on it immediately, sir. I'm sure the Fort Hraggstad commander will be happy to see some anti-slaver action." Then she turned to Shanti with what might have been a wink. "Thanks, Dragonborn. This puts me in mind of the Pale and Winterhold missions during the war - we shouldn't have any problems."

"Thank both of _you_ ," Shanti replied. "I regretted having to put this off for so long, but Alduin had to come first."

"Of course he did," Tullius reassured her. "And if we find proof of Thalmor involvement, I'll lodge a strong protest with Ambassador Elenwen. We do have some rights left under the Concordat, and preventing slavery is one of them."

* * *

Odahviing circled the Imperial City slowly, giving Shanti a chance to take it in, before he backwinged to a landing in the Arena. When she and her bodyguards dismounted and Odahviing took off, a pair of Penitus Oculatus officers emerged from one of the tunnels and approached, then bowed. "Welcome to Imperial City, Lady Dragonborn," the senior said. "We're to escort you to the Palace as a mini-honor guard, though if you wish a full-scale one, it's waiting in the Blue Team section of the Bloodworks."

"No, the two of you will be fine," Shanti said. "I would not bother even you, if any of my team knew the city well enough to get us there without becoming lost."

"It's an honor, Dragonborn, not a chore," the senior told her, then signaled the junior officer to tell the rest they could return to their usual duties. When she returned, the two of them led Shanti and her team to the nobles' entrance, then partway around Green Emperor Way to a modest entrance. The senior Oculatus officer used a key shimmering with magic to open it onto a marble entryway. "His Majesty's private entrance," he told Shanti softly. "We're to take you straight to his secure conference room. None of you are authorized to be armed in the Imperial Presence, though, so would you please give Caria your weapons?" He grinned. "Yes, we know only one of you depends on physical weapons, but ... "

"That is not a problem." Shanti unhooked Dragonbane and her mace from her weapons belt, handing them to the female Penitus officer, the rest following suit.

"Thank you, Dragonborn." Then the senior led the way up a set of marble stairs, and knocked three times on an elaborately carved door before he opened it. "Her Ladyship the Dragonborn, Your Majesty," he announced.

Shanti entered, immediately bowing to the man in robes and crown standing at the far end of the long conference table, then she dropped to one knee, bowing her head. "Your Majesty."

Behind her, she heard her team doing the same, then footsteps approached and a hand touched her shoulder. "Rise, Dragonborn."

She did so, but kept her head down until she felt a finger under her chin, and looked up, to see the Emperor smiling at her. "You please me, Legate-retired Shanti Dragonborn, though I expect your existence to cause problems in the future. But for now, my daughter and I would simply like to talk to you."

"As Your Majesty wishes." Shanti followed him toward the head of the table, and sat when he gestured her to a chair.

"What are your plans for the Empire, Dragonborn?" the Emperor asked quietly, after a few silent moments.

Shanti looked at him, puzzled, then it dawned on her. "If Your Majesty is asking what I believe you are, absolutely nothing. As far as I am concerned, you and your descendants are more than welcome to that particular set of headaches. I would have to give up far too much to claim the Throne, and I am needed as Stormcrown instead. Tiber Septim was able to combine both roles, but only because so few dovah survived into his time."

Crown Princess Raesa frowned. "I don't understand, Dragonborn. Give something up to become Empress and found a new dynasty?"

Shanti couldn't help grinning at the Heir. "Give up my freedom, Your Highness. You and your family are, as I understand it, restricted for all practical purposes to the White Gold Tower, or perhaps the Imperial City. I, on the other hand, have the freedom to go essentially wherever and whenever I wish ... preferably, since becoming Stormcrown, on dragon-neck. The freedom of the air - I could wish I had my own wings, but as long as my sworn ones are willing to lend me theirs, that is all I need for that particular joy.

"As for founding a dynasty, that cannot happen." Shanti grinned again at the Heir's expression, which seemed to be a mix of disbelief and sympathy. "Oh, I am probably capable of pregnancy and childbirth, Highness, though I doubt it will happen ... but prophecy insists I am the Last Dragonborn, so even if I were to have children, there would be no new Dragonborn dynasty."

The Emperor nodded. "I understand, Dragonborn. But ... what do you have in mind, then?"

"Strengthening the Empire, Sire. At least once I have done what I can about stopping two of the three groups trying to kill me."

"Go on," the Emperor prompted. "And in private, I'm Titus, my daughter is Raesa, and you're Shanti, unless you disapprove."

* _Agree!_ * Mulventoor sent, immediately. * _He acknowledges you as equal, which is good for all of us!_ *

"Titus, then." Shanti smiled. "The Traitor Miraak, from back in the Merethic Age, is sending cultists to kill me. So is whoever heads a new group of unusually powerful vampires. The third threat ... " She shrugged. "The Thalmor, of course. They have sent at least two assassination teams against me."

"Yes. The Thalmor," Titus said flatly. "Tell me, young lady. What do you think of the White-Gold Concordat? And do the dragons have an opinion, if they know about it?"

Shanti sighed. "I do not like it any better than any other Nord, of whatever race. The Thalmor are at best arrogant ... ah, unsavory skeever leavings, if you will pardon my language, and what they do to those arrested on suspicion of Talos worship is unforgivable. Most grudgingly accept that you had no choice other than accepting its terms, but I cannot say any of us like it. I certainly do not, and like most, I worship Talos in private."

"And the dragons?" Princess Raesa prompted.

"Were indifferent, until I told my current second-in-command _why_ the Thalmor forbade Talos worship, namely that a man cannot become a Divine. At that point, it took me, my bodyguard team, and a somewhat less impulsive female dovah to keep him from beginning an immediate war against the Dominion."

"That hardly seems a reason for a dragon to become upset," Titus said. "Why would they want to start a war because of Thalmor theology?"

"That is simple." Shanti grinned, baring her fangs without realizing it. "No one claims Talos became a Divine on his own; that is indeed impossible. But in saying it is impossible for him to be raised to divinity by Bormahu Akatosh, the Thalmor deny our Father's power to do what He deems best. And they also claim, a somewhat lesser offense, to be descendants of the Divines, although they are unquestionably mortal. Very long-lived, but mortal. Those are both insults to Bormahu, the first by far the worst."

"Hmm. I think I can sympathize, though I'm not quite sure I understand," Titus said. "But will they help us when the second Great War comes, and can you hold them off until the Thalmor attack? I've spent the last twenty-five years rebuilding what was left, but I'd really like to have another five or ten before things get hot again."

"Yes, though we need to work out details on how that can best be done. And given the prospect of action, I believe so, since dovah can be very patient when we know a goal is in sight."

"That being the case, I'd like to adjourn long enough to bring in a couple of others," Titus said. "And I understand you brought along the armor and weapons you used against Alduin?"

"Yes - why?"

"Because I'd like you to be in that gear when we re-assemble. I'm going to restore you to active duty, which I understand you want, along with a promotion that will allow you to be armed in the Imperial Presence."

Shanti's loud purr at the mention of being restored to active duty got smiles, but then she sobered. "Ah, there may be a bit of a complication, Sire. My vahriinne wish me to have a wearable crown to show my status as Stormcrown, and I fear Jarl Balgruuf has already commissioned it. That may conflict with what you wish to have happen, so if it might, I will simply not wear it."

Titus studied her, then smiled. "Let me think a bit, but that may actually work even better than my original plan."

Shanti hesitated before rising to leave and change. "Titus ... I have come to like and respect General Tullius, your military governor in Skyrim. He is possibly the best thing to have happened for us since the Stormcloak rebellion began. May I hope he was not sent to such a hostile climate as punishment?"

The Emperor looked at her, seemingly bewildered, for a moment, then he laughed. "Tullius, assigned somewhere as punishment? Divines forbid!" Then he sobered. "No, Shanti, not at all. Tullius is my personal troubleshooter, although that isn't widely known. I send him places through the usual channels, to protect that information, but he is in Skyrim because he was the best person to handle that rebellion. And he has agreed to stay there, despite the weather, to secure the peace as well."

Shanti didn't hide her smile of relief. "Good - and thank you for the reassurance. But now, if you will excuse me, I should go change for the next part of the meeting."

"Go with Talos." The Emperor smiled benevolently as she bowed and left, followed by her bodyguards.

* * *

When the conference re-convened, Raesa sat to the Emperor's right, Shanti - in her golden scale armor, and fully armed - to his left. Lower down the table were the head of the Penitus Oculatus,the High General of the Legions, and the Admiral of the Navies, all three looking annoyed.

"If you would stand, Lady Dragonborn?" the Emperor said. When Shanti did so, he studied the newcomers. "Gentles, I introduce the Stormcrown, Shanti Dragonborn. She has assured me that while the dragons who follow her have no particular feelings for the Empire one way or the other, she herself was devastated when I retired her from the Legion for her own protection.

"I have restored her to active duty as Stormcrown, head of the Dragon Legion. She holds their personal loyalty and they will follow no other, so that places her on the same level as the heads of Our other armed forces. And since her status as Stormcrown equals, with the dragons, my status as Emperor with intelligent non-dragons - what they call vodov - and they wish her to wear a visible sign of her status, I will permit it."

* _Not that he has any choice, if he wishes full cooperation,_ * Mulventoor grumbled to Shanti.

Shanti smothered a laugh she was sure wouldn't be well-received. "I thank Your Majesty, and my vahriinne - sworn ones - will as well, I am sure. They are rather protective of me, both physically and otherwise."

"I'm surprised they'd accept a Khajiit," the Penitus commander said. "Nord tales say the Last Dragonborn of the prophecies would be a male Nord, or a Nord at the very least."

Shanti chuckled. "That was what everyone expected, though the prophecies did not specify, and everyone, myself most definitely included, was surprised when it turned out otherwise. But we do not question what Bormahu decides, and oddly enough, they are more amused than offended to have one of the smallest of the bipedal Khajiits as Overlord."

* _Even the largest kaaz is small, compared to a dovah,_ * Mulventoor sent. * _So why not a Suthay? After all. one of the kaaz titles for Bormahu is the Great Cat._ *

Shanti snickered at that, which got curious looks from the rest at the table. "My apologies, gentles, but one of the dovah killed near me retains his self-awareness, and has my permission to share his thoughts and opinions with me." She passed along what Mulventoor had said, pleased that they also found it amusing.

"I wouldn't have thought dragons had a sense of humor," Raesa said. "That they do will make them easier to relate to, I think."

"Indeed it will, Your Highness," the High General said, then turned to Shanti. "How many dragons are there? And what kind of cooperation can we expect?"

"You will have to give me a bit of time to answer the second, General ... but Mulventoor says that at the peak of the Dragon Age, there were 'many thousands', though they did not take censuses, and the number varied. As for what kind of cooperation ... you will have to give me time to speak to my vahriinne. I became truly Stormcrown only day before yesterday, and will have to confer with Odahviing, my second-in-command, and his lieutenants." She frowned, her ears twitching.

"But it cannot be one-sided, I caution you. Neither my varhiinne or I will stand for that. I serve the Empire happily, but they simply do not care. They will want something in return, and gold or gems matter nothing to them."

"What does?" the Emperor asked.

* _Hands,_ * was the prompt reply, and she relayed it. "They wish hands, Your Majesty. So if I might make a suggestion, until I have the opportunity for a thorough discussion with Odahviing?"

"Of course, Stormcrown. You're part of the War Council now, and that means I expect you to suggest anything you think useful relating to the Dragon Legion."

"A preliminary experiment, then, Sire, since we want this to work properly, I assume, rather than being implemented blindly - ?"

"You are correct," the Emperor replied. "Go on."

"Let me work with General Tullius, and try to make ... hmm. Fort Graymoor is close to my home, and while damaged, it is in decent enough condition to have been used for Whiterun's defense in that battle." She shook herself, ducking her head, then looked back up. "Apologies, Sire ... thinking aloud is a fault of mine.

"I think a small scale experiment of matching Legion archers and battlemages with dovah willing to carry them, based at a fort which can be modified to be acceptable to dovah as a resting place, could give us information on how to proceed. Note that not all dovah will be willing to carry vodov, any more than all vodov will be willing to be around dovah."

"Understood." The Emperor turned to the High General. "Your opinion, General Corranus?"

"It sounds promising, Your Majesty, but the Legion budget has been strained since the beginning of the First Great War. How much will restoring and modifying Fort Graymoor cost us?"

The Emperor gave Shanti an inquiring look. "He has a good question, Stormcrown. Do you have any ideas?"

"I have had no experience with construction projects, Sire ... but since this fits in with my plans to foster cooperation between dov and vodov, I will finance as much of the construction as I can personally manage. I am not the wealthiest of adventurers, but neither am I the poorest, so as long as I do not short my own households, I will pay for necessary remodeling."

The Emperor stood, leaning forward with knukles on the table. "The Empire will support this experiment," he said firmly. "We will never ask a single citizen to pay for an expensive test out of his or her personal resources. Check your own budgets, and eliminate any waste. If you cannot find waste, We will appoint Imperial Auditors, answerable only to Us, who will."

The High General gave Shanti a glance, then said, "Of course, Sire. Ah, does 'waste' include senior personnel who are ... less than optimum ... but currently politically too influential to remove?"

The Emperor looked briefly surprised, then he grinned. "I think working out an understanding with the dragons prior to the next Great War is far more important to the Empire than a few hurt feelings, General. With the Stormcrown having disposed of the Dark Brotherhood, I'm confident of the Pentius Oculatus' ability to protect me from lesser assasins, General - clear out your deadwood."

That got an honest smile from the general, and he turned to Shanti. "That being the case, Stormcrown, how expensive do you think the necessary renovations will be, assuming the initial experiment is successful?"

Shanti studied his expression, which seemed more hopeful than anything else, but her answer was cautious. "I cannot say, General, since I have so little idea of construction costs, especially of military installations. But in my adventuring, I have seen no intact ones except Castle Dour in all of Skyrim. Granted, Helgen is being rebuilt by private citizens, including its defenses, so perhaps there you will have only the expense of maintaining a garrison, since I recommended Imperial troops rather than independent guards when I was asked. Not all are as badly damaged as Fort Greymoor, unless they were taken over by non-military rather than garrisoned by Empire or Stormcloak. So in return, I ask how much it costs to repair a damaged fort, and how many such are in Skyrim?"

"To the first, it depends on the extent of damage. For the other, I'll have to consult with General Tullius. But repairing even a moderately damaged fort is expensive, so should I assume post-test expenses will be high?"

Shanti winced. "You should probably assume very high, sir, simply from what I have personally seen."

"Then I may be able to eliminate a _lot_ of deadwood," the general said, in a tone as close as a human could get to a purr. "Another great service to the Empire, Stormcrown. It's going to be a pleasure working with - " He broke off, turning to the Emperor. "What are we to use for her, Sire? She doesn't fit any of the usual forms except Ladyship, and that seems inadequate."

"True." The Emperor thought for some time, then smiled. "One that hasn't been used in centuries, so can be applied exclusively to her, I think. Eminence, which is appropriate in several ways."

"So it is," the general agreed. "Your Eminence. Can you give me any idea of how many dragons we'll need to accommodate?"

"That would be difficult. I do not know how many Alduin resurrected, or how many others remain for me to resurrect. But at a guess, I would say to allow for perhaps one or two dragons per fort, since I am not sure how many will be willing to allow riders ... and they will have to permit those riders. I cannot emphasize enough that dovah are not horses or other domesticated beasts - we are fully intelligent, and opinionated, individuals."

"Understood," General Corranus said. "Do you have any idea how many dragons there are, all told?"

"I fear not, sir. All I know is what I told you earlier ... that there were at least a few thousand, at the height of their rule. If the ones Alduin resurrected are insufficient for our forts, I will be more than happy to resurrect more, now that I am their Overlord."

"Then I think we can adjourn for the present," the Emperor said. "Stormcrown Shanti needs to consult with her vahriinne, and General Corranus with General Tullius. This War Council will resume when both are satisfied with their consultations."

As the meeting broke up, Princess Raesa approached her father. "I think I should meet at least one dragon, sir ... so may I go to the Arena with Stormcrown Shanti?"

"Not a bad idea," Titus agreed. "Go ahead."

* * *

On the way to the Arena, Raesa studied Shanti, then asked, "Stormcrown, you use 'us' in referring to both Nords and dragons, but you aren't either - so why?"

Shanti laughed. "I am Khajiit in body, true, but I was raised in Castle Dour's Married Officer Quarters, surrounded by Nords and Nord culture, so I feel far more Nord than Khajiit." She paused, grinning. "Though a very undersized and furry one, to be sure."

She sobered. "As for the rest ... by the grace of Bormahu Akatosh, I have a dovah soul and dovah blood, so I am, in everything else, a dovah myself. My scales are a gift, my wings borrowed ... but I am the only dovah who can enter a vodov building, and that is most useful."

"Hmm ... I see. I still find it a bit difficult to believe you wouldn't want to claim the Empire, but I must say that since I was raised to rule, I'm grateful."

"Where my own ambitions were simply to become a Legion officer like my father," Shanti said. "So when you take the Ruby Throne, I think we will work well together."

"Yes ... I think so, too."

When they arrived at the Arena and Odahviing answered her call, Shanti hid a smile at Raesa's expression of awe. She herself had gotten used to dovah size, but it wasn't hard to understand someone being astonished by something winged and the size of a house settling down beside you.

She introduced them, interested that they exchanged a bow and head-duck. Then Odahviing said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Highness."

"And for me to meet you, Odahviing." She smiled, looking him up and down. "My. You're ... impressive."

Odahviing snorted a laugh. "I thank you. I am one of the largest of the dovah, that is true, but even one of my smaller brethren, I believe, would impress you. Save, of course, our Youngest Sister, who is the smallest dovah I have ever heard of."

"And she is impressive in her own quiet way," Raesa said. "So much so that my father has named her to the War Council as Stormcrown of the Dragon Legion."

"And he has given me permission to wear the Stormcrown Jarl Balgruuf commissioned Eorlund Graymane to make for me," Shanti added.

Odahviing gaped a smile. "Very good. I will assign a local dovah as liaison. Fly a red flag from the Palace when you wish to speak with him, or have him bring Dovahkiin a message. He will have to land here, of course."

"Yes, that's rather obvious now that I see one of you close up," Raesa agreed. "I look forward to meeting and speaking with him."

"Then as soon as I find one suitable, I will send him here, and word can be sent to the Palace. But we should leave now, to take word to those waiting for us in Skyrim."

After a few more formalities, Shanti and her team mounted, and Odahviing took off.


	44. The Retreat

**Author's Note** : My apologies for the unannounced (because totally unexpected) delay in posting. It was due to a medical emergency for my husband that involved several trips to a specialist doctor and hospital a six-hour round trip away. The urgent part seems to be over, though there will undoubtedly be more visits. All in all, it went better than the doctor expected after his original examination and the following day's surgery, but my husband may never recover full vision. I'd appreciate prayers for him from any of you who are inclined that way.

But now that I'm back, on with the story!

* * *

Chapter 44 - The Retreat

Shanti was feeling something between unsettled and dissatisfied when she went to bed that night. She had no idea why, because things in her life were certainly going smoothly enough. Alduin was dead, the souls in Sovngarde safe. She was learning how to fight Dragon Priests. She had just been celebrated as a hero in a ceremony in Solitude. She had a large and very comfortable home in Whiterun, and residences in every Hold except Winterhold, and was Thane in all nine. Divines, she was even on first-name terms with the Emperor and Crown Princess!

And it wasn't as if she was finished, either. If anything, she'd barely gotten started! There was Miraak the Traitor to find and kill, before his cultists killed her. There was helping the Dawnguard go after the vampires, particularly the new, unusually strong ones. There was figuring out how to get dov and vodov to cooperate, especially when it came to preparing to fight the Aldmeri Dominion. After that war, there would be working to rebuild the shattered Empire, though she had no idea how she would fit into that, since she was certainly not a politician or diplomat.

And those were just the major things. The downside to owning so many properties was having to maintain them, so until she found some other way to earn serious money, she'd have to continue her adventuring. Crafting was profitable enough, especially when she found gold or silver to smith jewelry, or had enough filled soul gems to enchant her loot with the few enchantments she knew. Alchemy could be profitable as well, if you had the proper ingredients, but she didn't like the stinks it produced, and it was boring, so except for the potions she and her team needed, she didn't bother.

Hmm. Maybe she ought to talk to Balgruuf. As Jarl, with an entire Hold to maintain, he might have some ideas. Although he did have the advantage of taxes, so perhaps Proventus - no, same problem. Lydia, then - although she'd been trained as a housecarl, she was doing quite well as steward of Ofansebalgruuf. Yes, a discussion of financing with her was definitely in order.

Shanti rolled over, trying to get comfortable, but she couldn't settle down. She needed to talk to someone, but who? Mulventoor had surfaced briefly during her audience with the Emperor, but then returned to searching his oldest memories, and she wasn't sure he could help anyway. Or, truly, if anyone could.

Finally, after a couple of hours tossing and turning, she sighed and got up to prowl around the room. Part of her wanted to find something to dig her claws and fangs into, another part of her wanted to yowl in frustration, and yet another part simply wanted to find someplace nice and remote to hibernate for a year or so.

"You need time alone, yes," a soft, disembodied voice told her.

She jumped, startled. "Who - what are you?" she demanded.

A sigh answered. "One of your predecessors," the voice replied. "My name does not matter now, and you probably would not recognize it. I was a Dragonborn, in what you think of as the late Second Era. One of the few, like you, who used the Thu'um with respect rather than arrogance, and killed my kin only when I was forced to by their actions."

"Go on," Shanti said, intrigued.

"We Dragonborns are a peculiar mix," the voice said thoughtfully. "Born mortal, we are social creatures, but our dovahsille require at least periodic isolation for mental health as well. Dovah, except for sex, tinvaak, and challenges, are solitary. You, little sister, have been in others' company almost constantly, except at night, when you are mostly asleep, and today's party was by far the most stressful for your dovah part." The voice paused. "You are overdue for some recuperation time alone. I would recommend at least a week, but given current events, I doubt you will be given that long. Whatever time you can get, however, would be beneficial. And that includes your bodyguard, unless you want sex with one of them."

"I am not married, so no - though S'Wynn keeps trying to persuade me into it. I know dovah do not marry, so that should not be a barrier, but for me it is."

The voice chuckled. "That may change over the years, my sister. Offspring, as you have said, are unlikely, but sex is one of the more pleasant ways of passing the years, of which you will have far more than I did. Take your time, yes, but do not rule it out entirely."

The voice paused. "But I am most serious about the need for some privacy. Find yourself an isolated spot, preferably with shelter, and spend as much time there as you are allowed to."

"Skuldafn is mine now, but it is in disrepair, and I am unsure I would care to occupy Alduin's temple anyway. But I am sure that with Odahviing's aid, I can find an unoccupied mountaintop with some sort of shelter."

"The unoccupied mountaintop is the important part; you can always create a shelter with a combination of Fire Breath, Frost Breath, and Unrelenting Force. Not an elegant one, granted, but usable, and it can be improved when you become tolerant of company again. For now ... well, I would recommend you head for the mountains once it's light enough." The voice chuckled. "It shouldn't be difficult to find an unoccupied peak; Divines know, Skyrim has an abundance of them!"

"It does indeed," Shanti agreed. "I thank you, my brother, and I will take your advice."

The voice didn't reply, and Shanti went back to bed, satisfied to have found a solution to her restlessness. With relief in sight, she was able to sleep.

* * *

When she woke, the relief was still there, though now it was joined by a bit of unease about the reaction to her wanting to go anywhere alone, however easy it would be to get in contact with her. Still, she needed that time, so whatever they thought, she was going to take as much as she could get.

When she appeared at breakfast in armor, she got curious looks. "I didn't think we had anything planned for today," Voranil said.

"We do not," Shanti said. "I do, after a visitation from one of my predecessors last night, but that does not - cannot, if it is to help - involve you. But I will be in no danger, as the location will be one only a dovah can reach, at least not without sufficient warning to allow me to call for help."

Bjorn frowned. "Are you sure, Shanti? You know we aren't supposed to leave you alone, even to ... um. Someone has to watch your back, always, especially with so many people trying to kill you. Are you sure you can't even take one of us? I'm a scout, you won't even know I'm there, I promise!"

She'd know, but as long as he remained as unobtrusive as she knew he could, hopefully it would be no problem. She sighed. "Very well. To keep people happy, you may go along. Just ... I need isolation, so do not speak to me or make yourself noticeable otherwise, unless an emergency arises."

"My word on it, Dragonborn," Bjorn promised. "Just let me get into my gear, and I'll be ready to go."

"Very well. Meet me outside the gates when you are ready. I will be waiting with Odahviing."

* * *

As soon as she was outside the city gates, she called Odahviing, a bit surprised that when he landed, one of the guards atop the walls called, "Drem yol lok, Odahviing!"

The dovah seemed surprised as well, but replied politely. "Drem yol lok, kendov. It is pleasant to hear Dovahzul from vodov. May I know your name?"

The man removed his helmet long enough to say, "I'm Heinrich, sir. Most of us are trying to learn at least the courtesies, the way we do wherever we're stationed that usually uses a language other than Common. 'Course, Dovahzul's harder to practice, since not many speak it these days."

"If Dovahkiin is successful in implementing her desires, that will change," Odahviing said. "You will have any tutors you wish."

"In the meantime," Shanti added, "you might speak to Bard Ko-Adanji. I think she may have had the Dovahzul books I borrowed copied."

"I'll do that, then. "Heinrich put his helmet back on, and Odahviing turned his attention to Shanti. "Where do you wish to go today, Thuri?" he asked.

"That will be up to you, fahdoni." Shanti sighed. "A deceased Dovahkiin visited me last night, and told me I need time away from others, that my dovahsil needs privacy for health. So I wish a mountain height, perhaps with a cave, that will let me retreat for a while. Though I must take Bjorn to guard my back. It seems I am not allowed to go anywhere without someone to at least do that."

"Which may be well," Odahviing rumbled. "You do not have dovah senses, and his are very keen. We are waiting for him, are we not?"

"Yes ... he had to armor and arm himself. He should not be long."

"It is well. How remote do you wish to be, Thuri? And what kind of shelter do you wish?"

Shanti frowned, thinking. "Part of me wishes to be able to watch a city, but part wishes ... only a simple cave near the top of the remotest mountain that has one."

"The latter, given your description of your problem," Odahviing decided. "There is a peak in the Jerall Mountains that fits, and when I saw it shortly before my death, it had only a pair of snowy saber-cats, who would be no challenge to you. Or even to Bjorn alone."

"I know he is good, but that good?"

'From what I have seen, and heard from Voranil and S'Wynn, yes."

"Then when he arrives, we will go to this Jerall peak. I am told I should take at least a week, but both he and I doubt I will have that much time."

"Probably not," Odahviing agreed.

* * *

The cave turned out to be on the southeast side of one of the Jerall Range's taller mountains, and only about a hundred feet from the peak. There were no tracks in the snow outside, which was promising, and the entrance was barely wide enough for Bjorn to get in without going sideways. He entered, and was gone perhaps five minutes before he returned and smiled at her.

"It's a good one," he reported. "No animal traces less than a few months old, a small spring in a chamber that's been set up for living - nothing fancy, and old, but usable. Huge stock of firewood - enough we could be here for at least a month in Evening Star or Morning Star, and not have to gather any. No food, of course, but we have plenty, and can hunt if we're here long enough to need more."

"Or I can hunt for you, if one of you will ride me to do the ... field-dressing, I believe it is called? The removal of guts and other innards you do not want? Which I will happily devour."

Shanti beamed at him. "Fahdoni, that is something that I had not thought of ... another beneficial aspect of cooperation, for both! Even better, let the rider make the kill, so meat and hide are not damaged. And once field-dressed, perhaps even skinned, you could use frost breath on the carcass to slow or prevent spoilage - ?"

"That would ... be simple enough," Odahviing said slowly. "That brings up very, very old memories. I ... I think that was done, in the very earliest days. I even seem to remember ... some sort of carrying harness, worn by the lesser dovah." He shook his head. "I do not like that memory, briinahi ... but I cannot deny it. The knowledge that dovah and vodov were ... a cooperative civilization once ... are undeniable, but some of the details are difficult to accept."

Shanti smiled. "Then do not think of them, just yet. I am sure it will be years before full cooperation will be restored, and I am equally sure it will take both sides some time to accept it."


	45. Embassy Attack

Author's Note: This chapter is mostly from Cyclone Sword, as Rodryn and company are his creation, and I simply cannot write them well.

* * *

Chapter 45 - Embassy Attack

Rodryn absentmindedly flexed his hand as one of his men worked on securing the straps of the rest of the armor. It was a strange feeling, wearing armor. It had been years since the last time he wore any protection that wasn't magically conjured, always confident that his reputation would be more than enough to deter most of the people that meant him any harm from actually trying anything. And in the few cases where his reputation didn't suffice his mastery in the schools of Destruction and Conjuration were more than enough to keep him safe.

But his reputation and magical prowess wouldn't save him this time, not if the Thalmor recognized him and decided to focus all of their efforts on taking him down.

"Rodryn?" One of his men asked expectantly.

As he looked up Rodryn noticed that the tugging on the straps of his armor had stopped and that the man in front of him, a Nord if he wasn't mistaken, was waiting for him to see if his armor needed any more adjustments.

"Apologies," Rodryn said before stretching a bit. The armor, while still heavy, was surprisingly less than he originally expected it to be. One of the perks of it being custom made for him, he supposed. "It fits fine, thank you." He thanked the Nord once he finished performing a few swings with a conjured sword.

"You stick out like a sore thumb, you know that?" Looking to his side Rodryn spotted Vyric making his way towards him, wearing his own steel plate cuirass over his blue mage robes.

"An intimidating one, I hope," Rodryn answered with a laugh when the Nord reached him.

Vyric snorted as he watched his superior crouched to pick up his helmet. "Even a child would look intimidating in a full set of Daedric armor, Rodryn."

"Most likely, yes," The Breton conceded, nodding. Then, after a few silent moments, he chuckled. "It's quite ironic, don't you think? That the strongest armor I have is also the one that will put me in the most danger."

"You can still sit this one out," Vyric said, frowning. "We can do this without you."

"No, this one I need to lead myself," Rodryn said decisively as he looked at his helmet. "Is everyone in position?"

"Yes sir," Vyric answered as Rodryn put on the helmet, knowing that there was no way to convince the Breton otherwise. "Ulric's men are at the tunnel and we just got word that Zyraxis and his team are ready to attack," he informed, slightly disconcerted at how the illusion on the helmet made it look like he was staring at a bottomless pit instead of an actual person.

"Good," Rodryn said, his voice distorted by another of the helm's enchantments. "Now let's get this over with."

* * *

Were it not for the fact that most of the Thalmor captains and Justiciars were already dead, Elenwen would've personally seen to their execution for their clear incompetence. Allowing armed men to reach the Embassy unnoticed and defeat its garrison so easily was unacceptable and should have been nigh impossible. But here she was, trapped in her own study with only a handful of soldiers and two useless mages.

"How many people are we talking about?" Elenwen asked the soldier that now stood before her, one of the few that had managed to fall back to the solar before it became the main focus of the enemy. Even now she could hear the ever-growing sound of battle as the assailants fought their way through the building.

"We are not sure, Your Excellency, but we estimate there are between forty and sixty hostiles," the soldier replied, trying not to grimace as one of the mages healed his arm.

Elenwen cursed under her breath as she turned away from the soldier, leaning heavily against her desk as she thought of what to do. "Burn all the documents and journals, we can not let them fall into enemy hands," she ordered, causing most of the soldiers to promptly do as ordered and start piling up documents.

"Your Excellency?" one of the soldiers at the door said, confusion written across his face. "The fighting, it has stopped."

"What do you mean stopped?" Elenwen asked as she made her way towards the guard. "There are several doz-" A loud, magic-infused explosion blew the heavy door of her study clean off its hinges, stopping Elenwen mid-sentence as it threw her and the two guards to the ground.

Disorientated by the blast and the subsequent hit of her head against the floor left her unable to do anything as the assailants entered the room, crossbows making quick work of several Altmer before moving aside to let their more armored companions deal with those that remained.

"All clear, sir," she eventually heard one of the soldiers say, causing her to look up at the entrance to see who was responsible for the events that transpired.

"Rodryn," she sneered, glaring at the Daedric-clad figure as it turned to her. She couldn't see his face due to the helmet he wore, but she did recognize the lizard that followed him closely, a bloodied short sword still in his hand.

Turning to her, Rodryn removed his helmet, handing it to Zyraxis as he gestured for her to be held up on her knees. "My, my, Elenwen. How the mighty have fallen, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, watching as she was roughly pulled up by two Nords.

"You'll pay for this, Rodryn," she seethed, glaring as the Breton merely laughed.

"And who's going to collect that payment, my dear? You?" Rodryn asked, pointing at her before gesturing at some of the dead guards that now littered the office. "Them? That beloved king of yours who I doubt will even care you died for him?"

"We defeated the Empire, you really think you stand a chance against us?"

"Oh please, spare me the nationalism, Elenwen. We both know the Dominion only won because the Empire was extremely weakened and you caught them unprepared. And even then, as the cherry on the top, it was a Pyrrhic victory at the most," he said as he crouched and forced her to look at him, the claws of his gauntlet painfully digging into her cheeks and drawing a small amount of blood. "Besides, you saw the amount of destruction one dragon is capable of. Surely you don't believe the Dominion will be able to fight off the Empire when they have access to dozens of them through the Dragonborn?"

"What, nothing, Elenwen?" Rodryn continued disappointedly as Elenwen remained silent and glared at him hatefully. "Hmm, well, that's disappointing." He eventually sighed, releasing his hold on her as he stood up.

"What shall we do with her?" one of the Nords asked, looking down with spite at the Altmer.

"Nothing," Rodryn casually replied as he plunged a summoned sword almost hilt deep into her chest. "She'll never talk and I have no interest in wasting resources to keep her as a prisoner. Besides, these little treasures will tell us more than enough, " he said as he turned away from the now dying elf and moved over to the pile of documents, briefly patting one of the books with a smile before facing Zyraxis. "Load everything that's of value up in the carts and burn the rest. "

XX

Ahkrinbo had reported unusual movements around the Thalmor Embassy, so Odahviing decided to check it out - unusual might mean interesting, and with Thur Shanti on retreat, he was a bit bored.

By the time he got there and began circling high above, it was clear an attack on the Embassy was under way, and he approved. He could see only what went on outside, of course. That was rather frustrating,

but when people who were obviously not Altmer began loading carts and taking them out of the Embassy grounds, he was even more pleased. Strundu'ul Shanti probably would not be when she heard, but he himself was strongly in favor of anything that harmed the Thalmor, and it was hard to restrain himself from Shouting fire at the sky in delight when the Embassy erupted in flame itself.

Others emerged from the Embassy then, including one in Daedric armor who almost had to be the raid's leader. He descended, calling, "Drem yol lok, Thalmor-foes! Will you tinvaak?"

"Forgive me, Odahviing, but my knowledge of Dovahzul is rather non-existent," the leader replied as he gave a small reverence.

"Ah - krosis. My apologies. It was simply a polite greeting, and an invitation to converse, if you wish. My congratulations on your victory, by the way. May Bormahu - our Father Akatosh - grant you many more against those who deny the divinity He granted Talos."

"Then I'm afraid I must refuse," Rodryn answered with a shake of his head, gesturing at the raging flames that were consuming the Embassy behind him. "The fire can be seen from miles away and I'm sure someone's bound to have noticed it by now. And as you might imagine, we'd rather not be here when the Legion shows up."

Odahviing nodded. "Vazah ... true. Were there any homes of innocent vodov in danger, I would put it out with my frost breath. But since there are not, I shall simply enjoy watching it burn. Should you wish to speak later, fly a red banner or put out a red cloth, and a dovah will contact you. If it is not me, simply tell him you wish to speak to me, and I will get the message."

"I would advise against it, Odahviing. It is widely known you now serve the Dragonborn and I fear that, should you be seen here, she will be held accountable for everything that happened here," Rodryn explained while he climbed onto his horse. "It would not matter much in the grand scheme of things, but I doubt she would appreciate it."

Odahviing nodded. "You honor Thur Shanti, with your concern for her. That pleases me. But none will witness my enjoyment of your inferno, since I will do so from altitude. Summon me as I have described, if you wish to speak." With that, he crouched and leapt, wings beating, to take flight and circle happily above the burning Thalmor Embassy.


	46. Returning Home

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Chapter 46 - Returning Home

When Shanti woke, it took her a few seconds to remember why she was in a cave, then she smiled and stretched. It did feel better, knowing she was alone for a change, with no immediate calls on her. Bjorn was here, of course, but he'd chosen to sleep in a small chamber closer to the entrance where no one but a Nord could be comfortable. He took his duties very seriously, but he was doing his best not to intrude, as well, which was relaxing.

She made her breakfast from some elk jerky, cheese, and watered wine while she thought about what to do once she had gotten past her need for isolation. Getting rid of one of the groups targeting her was the obvious thing, but which one? Not the Thalmor, obviously, not with the Emperor wanting five to ten more years to prepare for that particular encounter. So, vampires or Miraak the Traitor?

Putting the question that way made the answer an easy one. Her vahriinne had no particular feelings about vampires, who were no danger to them anyway, but they did have a burning hatred for the Traitor, one she shared on their behalf. "Bend Will" indeed, when he could have won their service as she had, by defeating Alduin, then treating them with respect! That was simply wrong.

So Solstheim it would be. She didn't know much about it, other than that it had been devastated, as had Morrowind, by the eruption of Red Mountain, and had been given to Morrowind to house their survivors by the Emperor in 4E 16. She had a vague idea of its geography ... ashlands to the south, blending into Skyrim-like snowy mountains to the north. Capital Raven Rock, main industry ... um. None. An ebony mine, if her vague memory served, but the whole place was less than impressive. Still, if it harbored Miraak, she would have to go there.

The note she'd found on one of the cultists said they had come from there aboard the _Northern Maiden_ , so that might be the best way to travel there. Dovah-neck would be far faster, granted, but word of dovah cooperation might well not have reached the island yet.

In the meantime, she shouldn't neglect her sword and mace practice or necessities like food and sleep, but otherwise, she intended to spend most of her time meditating on the Shouts she knew, as well as the memories Mulventoor had shared with her shortly after she'd absorbed his soul.

* * *

She managed four days of that regimen, enjoying herself and feeling refreshed by it, though with a bit of guilt now and then that she really ought to be doing something more obviously productive. This was productive in its own way, of course, honing her use of Voice, which she'd definitely need if she was going to face another Dragonborn.

But between thinking she needed to take action, and curiosity about how Rikke's raid on the slavers had gone, by the fifth morning she was ready to leave. She told Bjorn, who looked relieved. He didn't say anything, though, just started packing his things. She did the same, then they left the cave and she called Odahviing.

When he landed, he looked at her carefully. "You are ready to return, Thuri?"

Shanti nodded. "It was refreshing, but I have entirely too much to do to spend more time indulging myself. Though I do plan to return for briefer times whenever my duties permit."

"That is good," Odahviing said. "But General Tullius and the other vodov will be glad to see you. He wishes to speak to you as soon as you decided to return, so I will take you to Solitude."

"I had planned to go home ... do you know if it is urgent?"

"I would say so," Odahviing replied thoughtfully. "I do not know the details, but there have been a number of incidents involving the Thalmor he wishes to speak to you about, including the incident where Rodryn attacked and destroyed the Thalmor Embassy. While you are with him, I will go to Whiterun and pick up Voranil and S'Wynn."

Shanti frowned. "That does sound serious." Rodryn had destroyed the Embassy? She couldn't suppress a thrill of glee. She'd have loved to do that herself, but she had to restrain herself, especially now that she again had an official Imperial position. "If you have no objection, could you bring Jarl Balgruuf as well? With the symbolic Stormcrown, if it is finished. I have His Majesty's permission to wear it, and he has named me to the War Council as Stormcrown of the Dragon Legion."

Odahviing snorted a laugh. "He is wise to know when he only has one choice to obtain our cooperation. Yes, I will gladly bring Balgruuf along, if he is willing to come."

"Kogaan, fahdoni." When he crouched, she and Bjorn mounted, and moments later they were landing outside the Solitude main gates, and not long after that, while Bjorn headed to Proudspire Manor with their packs, she entered Castle Dour's map room, and approached the table where Tullius, Rikke, and several others were bent over the map table, their postures tense.

She cleared her throat quietly, getting a disproportionately startled response as everyone straightened. "You wished to see me, General?" she said quietly.

"Dovahkiin!" Tullius exclaimed. "Thank the Divines you're back. All Oblivion broke out shortly after you left, and none of the dovah would let your retreat be interrupted." He grimaced. "The damn Thalmor were involved, of course."

Shanti sighed. "When I left, the only thing I was aware of involving them was Legate Rikke's raid on the bandits holding slaves for the Thalmor prison head. Something went wrong with that?"

"In one way," Rikke replied. "We got to the caves and inside, rescued the captives they were going to sell as slaves. On the way out of the cave system, though, we were met by a party of three Thalmor, a mage and two warriors. The mage started to charge spells against us when I heard a dragon roar, and all three of them got iced." She chuckled. "Not the way the Legion uses that term, but literally. They were frozen, not fried like you'd expect from a dragon, so once they thawed a bit, we were able to find some papers that tied in with what we'd found in the bandit's records."

"Which was more than enough for me to lodge a protest with Ambassador Elenwen," Tullius put in, "since we now had proof that Aerandil was using the Concordat to derive a personal profit rather than carry out the Concordat's aim of suppressing Talos worship, even if that was to be a secondary effect."

He sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, before I could arrange a meeting with her, the Embassy was attacked, apparently by a large and well-organized bandit gang. The obvious culprits would be a group of leftover Stormcloaks, though I was able to find nothing conclusive about that either way, when I investigated." He paused, clearly hiding a grin. "At least that's what I reported to Headquarters in Cyrodiil. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was Rodryn Ashcroft and his people, though I have no reportable proof."

Shanti chuckled. "It was, according to Odahviing. I wish I could have been in on that, but ... it is probably just as well I was not. Should I tell His Majesty next time I see him?"

Tullius frowned slightly. "Only if it's in private and in a warded room," he said slowly. "Court is ... not exactly as loyal as I could wish. There are too many who'd like to be 'in the know,' and if it's more than the Emperor and Crown Princess, they'd be too tempted to prove their access. That would make the response here even worse than it has been."

Shanti's ears went back. "What do you mean?"

Tullius sighed. "The Thalmor used that attack as an excuse to crack down. All the Talos shrines they knew of have been destroyed, the priests and priestesses arrested and imprisoned. The Temple of Talos in Windhelm has been gutted. There may be a few remote or private shrines still usable, but nothing they could find or get to easily has survived."

"I have shrines in each of my homes," Shanti said softly. "I would be willing to move them to other protected areas, if you wish. The dovah will aid in that protection, I am sure."

"How many?" Rikke asked.

Shanti thought. "Six I am willing to have transferred. The one at Windstad Manor, where I spend much of my time, I would prefer to keep, though if it is needed, I will surrender it."

"Six should be enough," Rikke replied. "One should go in that fort - Graymoor - that we've started to work on. I'll let you know where the others should go as we find good places."

"That is fine. Do you need me for anything else at the moment?"

"No, why?" General Tullius said.

"Because in that case, I plan to take ship for Solstheim, to search out and defeat an enemy of my sworn ones. I feel I owe it to them, as well as wanting to eliminate the cultists of his who keep trying to kill me. I also need to let the people there know that dovah will rarely be hostile any more, so that I can fly there if I need more than one trip."

Tullius nodded. "That sounds reasonable. Anything else?"

There were a couple of things, actually, but one she would have to keep to herself. She had recovered some unusual amulets that protected against offensive Shouts on the Dragon Priests she'd defeated, and she felt justified in offering one to the man who'd saved her life, now that her team was equipped. "Yes, but I am not quite sure how to go about it. The Dragon and regular Legions must learn to work together, not just against the Thalmor, but against any future enemies. If you have not heard about this from High General Corranus yet, you should soon. Fort Graymoor is to be rebuilt and serve as a test base."

"Yes, we'd heard," Tullius said. "A dragon brought word while you were away, and the survey work on exactly what has to be done to repair it completely has begun. We started clean-up and basic maintenance when we occupied it prior to the Battle for Whiterun, but construction's going to take a while. Would it be possible for you to station a dragon there before it's complete?"

"That should not be a problem," Shanti said. "I visited recently, and the tower that is still complete will make a usable, if not ideal, perch, especially since the roof is accessible for any who wish to speak to him."

Tullius nodded. "Good. Now, the dragon said something about you being named Stormcrown, but wasn't too clear on what that meant. Can you explain?"

"I will try." Shanti hesitated. "I suppose you could say it is an attempt to meld my position as Thursedov - overlord of dragonkind - with Imperial structure and the fact that dovah will obey only me or those I designate as lieutenants. Our command structure is far less formal - or structured, for that matter - than the Legions, but His Majesty needs some sort of parallel. So as Stormcrown, in the Imperial view, I am the dovah equivalent of High General, and I am now a member of the War Council. I do not believe the other members were particularly happy about that, but none contradicted His Majesty."

"So you're my superior, now, Stormcrown?"

Shanti made a show of studying him before she smiled. "I see no wings or scales, General, so while I have a higher rank now, we are not in the same chain of command. I may ask you for help, which I hope you will give freely, but if you do not ... well, we are friends, so I will probably not push it unless it is something essential."

Tullius returned her smile. "All you'll have to do is ask, Stormcrown. I don't think any Nord would refuse the Dragonborn much of anything, and neither will this Imperial. I know you too well to think you'd want to harm the Empire we both serve."

"You are correct - "

Shanti was interrupted by a Legionnaire. "General Tullius, Jarl Balgruuf is here, and would like to speak to the Dragonborn."

"Very well. You may admit His Grace."

When Balgruuf entered, followed by her team, the first thing Shanti saw was the case he was carrying ... then that he was wearing an Amulet of Mara, which made her ears prick forward in curiosity, though she didn't mention it, at least immediately. Instead, she gestured to the case. "That would be the Stormcrown?"

"It is indeed." Balgruuf handed her the case. "Take a look. Eorlund used scales and claws left over from your team's armor, and used the Jagged Crown for a model, since he was pretty sure you'd be fighting in it. It's enough different that the two can't be mistaken, especially since once it was finished it took on the gold color of your armor, and Eorlund inset some gems in the shape of lightning bolts."

Shanti opened the case and lifted the contents out, then caught her breath. "Divines, it is beautiful! Eorlund outdid himself, and I shall have to tell him so!"

And it was. Gold-colored, with engraved and jeweled bone set between the claws that served as the Jagged Crown's cheek-pieces. There was a brighter gold inlay like another lightning bolt between the two claw pieces that were the helm's horns, with an edging of dark gray, and a storm cloud engraved into the steel nasal that held them together. "A proper Stormcrown indeed," she said softly. "My vahriinne will be most pleased."

She handed Balgruuf the Stormcrown, then removed her plain helmet and handed it to Bjorn. Turning back to Balgruuf, she smiled. "You wanted to do the honors, my friend."

"That should be a public ceremony, but we don't need to lose you for another week," Balgruuf said. "It doesn't seem right that this should be so ... unceremonious, and in a military war room."

"Actually, it is most appropriate," Shanti said. "In vodov terms, 'Stormcrown' is my new Legion rank, rather than a civilian one, and that is my insignia of rank, this armor my uniform. Though as it is unique, calling it a 'uniform' is a bit of a misnomer."

Balgruuf chuckled. "All right, if you prefer it that way." He approached and placed the Stormcrown on her head. She took time to settle it properly, her ears going through the earholes. It was fancier than her old helmet, but thanks to Eorlund's skill, was just as comfortable. When she was satisfied, she cocked her head at Balgruuf.

"If it is not prying, I am curious. Are you thinking of anyone in particular for that Amulet?"

"It's an open secret, I suppose," Balgruuf said. "I've known and cared for Elisif since she was a girl. I shared her sorrow when Torygg was murdered. But the official mourning period was over half a year ago, and it's time for her to get on with her life. She'll always miss Torygg, of course, but with the Civil War over and a second Great War on the horizon, she needs to re-marry and provide an heir for Haafingar - and for Skyrim itself, for that matter. The Moot is likely to name her High Queen, and the succession shouldn't be left in doubt."

Shanti nodded. That was a practical way to look at the situation, and life in Skyrim left no doubt that practical had to take precedence over romantic. "And she lacks experience in war, but with you and General Tullius as advisors, she should be able to cope. A wise move, my Jarl."

And that was assuming she was named High Queen if the Moot was held after that wedding. Skyrim practicality might well decide that a battle-hardened High King was preferable to a young and inexperienced High Queen. At least that would be her advice if she were ever asked.

"Thank you, Dovahkiin." Balgruuf smiled. "If my suit is successful, you'll come to the wedding, I hope. Perhaps even officiate, since you're a Priestess of Akatosh as well as His daughter."

"I would be honored, my Jarl - and I will pray for the success of your suit."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I have to apologize, folks. I've run into a combination of plot and characterization problems that I'm having real trouble resolving. After about six weeks of only managing maybe half a chapter, I've realized that I need to take some time off from being both frustrated and unproductive, and war-game a number of scenarios to see where to go. Since that could involve having to re-write finished (but not yet posted) chapters, this will be the last chapter posted until I get things squared away.

Divines willing, that'll only be a couple of weeks, but since I can't be sure, I'm not going to make a promise I may not be able to keep. Yes, I plan to finish the story, but I have to either untangle or cut my way through this Gordian knot first.


End file.
